I will always protect him, says Barcelona boss Hansi Flick after Lamine Yamal’s teenage tantrum

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick says he will “always protect” Lamine Yamal after the teenager attracted criticism for appearing to lose his cool towards the end of Saturday’s La Liga win at Atletico Madrid.

Yamal cut a frustrated figure, shrugging off Flick’s embrace after the final whistle and shouting at goalkeeping coach Jose Ramon de la Fuente as he marched down the tunnel.

Reports in Spain suggest the 18-year-old was irritated by criticism from De la Fuente during the match.

Flick was asked about Yamal this afternoon in his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow night’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Atleti and was eager to play the incident down.

“What we have to understand is that Lamine is 18 years old and for me he is an incredible player,” said the German. “Sometimes you can see when you watch the game again that what he is doing is incredible. In the one-on-one… in everything, he is fantastic, but he is only 18 years old and of course sometimes he is angry when I change him or when there is a situation.

“Sometimes it is because he did not score a goal, that is emotion and it is good and we will always support him.

“He is a fantastic player who is on the right track and we will help him develop. Everyone looks at him because he is a great player, everyone. At that age he makes mistakes and I have told him, don’t worry, I will always protect him and that is good for us. On the field he is a great player and will surely be the best in the world in the future.”

Yamal and Cancelo both set to start for Barcelona against Atletico

Yamal is set to start once again tomorrow in what will be the fifth meeting between the sides this season.

Joao Cancelo is also likely to retain his place at full-back after another fine display at the Metropolitano at the weekend which included setting up the winner for Robert Lewandowski.

The Portuguese is on loan from Al-Hilal until the end of the season but refused to divulge his long-term plans when facing the media today.

He said: “I have a contract with Al-Hilal and I am on loan at Barça, but there are always options. In the end we will see.

“In football anything can happen. I’m going to continue working. I want to help Barça stay in this competition and win La Liga. That’s the most important thing. My future doesn’t interest me now.”

Barcelona boss Flick hails impressive Cancelo

Cancelo has impressed Flick with his dedication to the cause after flying back to Spain following a long trip to Mexico and the United States during the international break.

“He is doing a great job,” said Flick. “When you see him play with the national team and have a long journey back… on Saturday he gave everything, he was exhausted. He is a fantastic professional and helps us a lot at this time and I appreciate it very much.”