Yamal stuns Spain and withdraws from national team; 'I'm shocked!' admits head coach

The controversy around Lamine Yamal isn't dying down! After the whole scandal with his 18th birthday party and frequent "womanizing," his recent poor performances set off alarms at Camp Nou, as the Catalans realized they'd have to keep a closer eye on the youngster.

The November international break was, hence, seen as an ideal period for him to tone it down a bit, surrounded by his more experienced compatriots in the national team.

But alas... Instead of calming down, he's found himself in the middle of another scandal!

Namely, Yamal won't even be at Spain manager Luis de la Fuente's disposal, as he underwent a medical procedure without the knowledge of La Furia's medical staff. Consequently, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) issued an official statement.

"The Medical Services of the RFEF wish to express their surprise and discomfort after learning at 13:47 on Monday, November 10, the day of the start of the official training camp with the national team, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure for the treatment of his pubic discomfort that same morning."

Taming the hothead – keeping Yamal from embarrassing Barcelona

"This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the medical staff of the National Team, with knowledge of the details only through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated the medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days."

"Given this situation, and prioritizing at all times the health, safety and well-being of the player, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has made the decision to release the athlete from the current call-up."

"We are confident that he will recover well and wish him a speedy and full recovery."

Considering that Yamal informed no one about his moves, his withdrawal from the team caught everyone by surprise, and the boss De la Fuente wasn't an exception.

The 64-year-old tactician didn't even try to hide his disbelief in an interview with RNE Deportes via Barca Universal.

"I'm shocked, I've never been through a situation like this before, and I don't think it's normal at all. Everyone is surprised, you don't know anything, no news reaches you, and you don't know any details, then they suddenly tell you," De la Fuente stated.

So far, it's not clear whether anyone will replace Yamal in Spain's squad, but the team will undoubtedly dearly miss the 18-year-old in decisive clashes against Georgia and Turkey, in which La Furia need a single win to secure their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.