Hansi Flicks calls for greater player protection after Lamine Yamal injury
- Hansi Flick addresses media after Lamine Yamal sustains foot injury
- Barcelona star hurt by hard tackle against Las Palmas
- Flick seeking firmer refereeing intervention on fouls despite recently criticising Real Madrid complaints
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has called for referees to do more to protect players after Lamine Yamal suffered a gruesome injury from a heavy tackle against Las Palmas at the weekend.
Yamal shared an image of his blood-soaked sock on social media after the game, sarcastically captioning the post, "It's not a foul!"
But while the 17-year-old prodigy hasn't suffered serious damage and could even feature in Tuesday night's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid – "I think he will be able to play, I have a positive feeling" – Flick has asked for “hard fouls” to be more seriously punished as a deterrent.
"We can't say that Lamine or certain players are specially protected, it should be for everyone. If they don’t get yellow cards, hard fouls keep being repeated," the Barca coach said.
"We have to protect them. I think it's the sensible thing to do. Not just some special players, but all of them. In Spain we all like to see the one-v-ones, to see those footballers who are capable of getting past the defenders, they have to be protected."
It's a little ironic that Yamal only recently defended refereeing in La Liga amid conspiracy claims that there is an agenda against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
"The thing is that I think that lately almost everything is questioned," Yamal said last week.
"There are things that are clear and there is no doubt about them. And I think that in the end the job of a referee is very difficult, that in the end if you call for one side the other is going to complain. And if no one complains, the other team that is not playing complains. It is a very difficult job."
"I think that we cannot complain, Madrid, Barca and Atletico. I think that the referees try to do their best. There is not so much talk about matches like the one against Alaves and Leganes and maybe there are more controversial actions. But the referees try to do their best. It's a very difficult job because someone will always complain. We are very happy."
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