Lamine Yamal failed to celebrate in the La Liga victory against Atletico Madrid leading to questions about the winger.Published On 7 Apr 20267 Apr 2026Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he would defend teenage star Lamine Yamal against criticism for his occasional “emotional” outbursts, in advance of Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Atletico Madrid.The 18-year-old winger did not celebrate Barca’s late winner in the 2-1 victory at Atletico in La Liga on Saturday that took the Catalans seven points clear at the top of the table.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listYamal was visibly irritated, with Spanish media reporting it was because a member of the Barcelona coaching staff admonished him from the sidelines for shooting when he could have passed.The Spain international has also shown his anger at being substituted by Flick in the past, and the coach said he would back Yamal regardless.“What we have to see is that Lamine is 18 years old and for me he’s an unbelievable player, you can see it when you watch the game again – what he’s doing is unbelievable,” Flick told reporters Tuesday.“But he’s only 18, sometimes he’s angry when I substitute him. He had a situation where he dribbled past four or five players and then shot and missed.“Sometimes, he’s frustrated he didn’t score this goal, and he’s like that, he’s emotional, and this is good. I will always support him.”Flick admitted Yamal’s shows of disapproval on the sideline sometimes create headlines that are not ideal for the team.“He’s a fantastic player, on the right [path], we will help him to develop,” the German coach said.“Not everything that he’s doing is good, as it creates this noise around our team. I know everyone is looking to him because he’s a fantastic play …
