Lamine Yamal, who came under heavy criticism after his disappointing performance in the El Clasico, lost 1-2 to Real Madrid on Sunday, is going through a difficult period. At just 18 years old, the young FC Barcelona winger (8 matches, 3 goals in all competitions this season) must now manage not only his fitness, but also his public relations, which has become a concern for the club.

According to information from the Catalan daily "Sport", the Barcelona management did not appreciate some of Yamal's controversial statements before the clash against Madrid. Deemed provocative, these words would have, according to Barça, reinforced the motivation of the Madrid players. A member of the Blaugrana board of directors even revealed that before the match, several Real players had asked to play in Yamal's flank to confront him directly.

Aware of the youth and passion of their prodigy, the club's management, in collaboration with his agent Jorge Mendes, now wishes to more strictly regulate the player's communications. The goal is to prevent further negatively perceived statements from disrupting his progress and tarnishing his image.

Barça also wants to ensure that Yamal's private life is no longer as exposed as it has been in recent months. Between media and social media, the club fears that excessive attention could harm his personal and sporting development.

Convinced that his period of inactivity is linked to his recent pubalgia, the medical staff wants to be reassuring.

But on a psychological and media level, support work now seems essential.