Yamal ruled out against Czechia: Spanish journalist defends preferential treatment

Lamine Yamal will not be on the pitch Thursday during Spain’s match against the Czech Republic. His withdrawal has immediately reignited debate over the special status granted to superstars within national teams, a subject that deeply divides Spain.

It was journalist Manu Carreno, on Cadena SER, who sparked the controversy by defending without hesitation the decision to rest the FC Barcelona prospect. “I understand why they do this with Lamine Yamal, he is our best player and we must not take risks with him,” he declared, citing fears of premature wear on one of the world’s most precious talents.

To support his position, Carreno broadened the debate to other major football nations. “We don’t have these debates in France with Mbappé, nor in Argentina with Messi, nor in Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo. Because certain players must benefit from preferential treatment, and perhaps we need to accept having, for the first time, a player of this level in the Spanish national team.”

This stance clashes with a deeply rooted sensitivity in Spanish football culture. La Roja has long made the collective its primary identity, carrying this principle through to its three consecutive major titles between 2008 and 2012. The idea of a “franchise player” benefiting from different rules than others represents a strong symbolic break that Carreno fully embraces.

“You may not like it, and it should be the same for everyone, but this is something that happens in France, Portugal and Argentina,” he insisted. “It may be the case for Lamine, who is treated differently from the others because he is not like them.”

The parallel with Kylian Mbappé, regularly at the heart of similar controversies within the French national team, illustrates that the question transcends Spanish borders. It remains to be seen whether the Spanish Football Federation and the manager will publicly assume this logic or continue to manage Yamal’s absences on a case-by-case basis.