Scandal erupts at Barca: both players broke discipline, yet Yamal plays while Rashford faces punishment

18/10/2025 08:26:00 TrophyTracker

Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s head coach, is facing waves of criticism and questions about unfair disciplinary treatment after Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford were dealt with differently despite both committing the same offense — being late to a team meeting.

Increasing pressure as Barca’s performance declines

At Friday’s press conference, Hansi Flick outright denied rumors claiming Barcelona’s management forced him to start Lamine Yamal in the match against PSG earlier this month, despite the young player arriving late to the team meeting.

Conversely, Marcus Rashford — loaned from Manchester United — was dropped from the starting lineup in the September game against Getafe for the same mistake. This difference in handling has led to suspicions of a "double standard" within the club.

Flick responded strongly to the media: "I want to know where that rumor came from. It’s absolute nonsense. Not true at all. Here at the club, with Deco and other technical staff, I have a genuine working relationship. They trust me and would never ask me to do that. Anyone who says otherwise is lying."

These controversies have only increased pressure on Flick, who is striving to revive Barca after a disappointing run of form. The Catalan team lost 1-2 to PSG in the Champions League, then was thrashed 4-1 by Sevilla in La Liga. Still, Barca remains second in La Liga, just 2 points behind leaders Real Madrid.

Coach Flick denies that he treats Yamal differently from Rashford.

Performance of Yamal and Rashford

Lamine Yamal, Ballon d’Or runner-up, has had some groin injury problems since the start of the season but has still performed well in 5 appearances with 2 goals and 4 assists.

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has quickly adapted, scoring 3 goals and providing 5 assists in his first 10 matches of the season.

Barcelona only turned to Rashford after failing to sign Luis Diaz from Liverpool — who moved to Bayern Munich for £65 million. Notably, Rashford accepted a 15% salary cut (from £315,000 per week) to realize his dream of playing for Barcelona. The Catalan club also inserted a purchase option worth about £27 million into the English star’s loan contract.

Despite criticism for being late to a team meeting, Rashford still has the support of sporting director Deco. "We are pleased with him," Deco told Mundo Deportivo. "Rashford came on a simple loan, with no penalty clause. And we have the right to buy if we want."

Deco also added: "It’s too early to discuss next season’s future, but the important thing is that we are satisfied. Rashford is a quality player. He burst onto the scene early, then had excellent seasons at Man United. But he also faced tough times when the club changed managers frequently and demanded a lot. With Barca, we are getting exactly what we expected."

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