Lamine Yamal is one of many players who could be on the radar of the Spanish team, not only for the European Championship but also for the Paris Olympics.
However, there are concerns in the Barcelona camp over the youngster’s workload if he is asked to play in both competitions.
The Catalans do not want a repeat of 2021 where playing in multiple international competitions in one summer took a toll on Pedri’s fitness.
Lamine Yamal on playing Olympics & Euros this summer
Amid growing uncertainty over Yamal’s participation in international competitions this summer, the player has recently addressed the issue himself.
Speaking to the media, Yamal has admitted it would be illogical to compete in both the Euros and the Olympics.
“It wouldn’t be logical to participate in the Olympics after the EURO. I have been trying to have control over my playing time. It wouldn’t make sense to participate in both tournaments,” he said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
This is a significant development, especially considering the fact that Yamal himself had stated last month that he would be open to playing in both competitions.
Yamal reiterated the focus on the European Championship, though, adding, “It also depends on how the Euro Cup goes but I think the most important thing would be to be in the Euro Cup.”
When asked about the Pedri factor, the youngster replied, “It’s an example of what can happen because it’s the only one I remember doing it.“
Spanish Football Federation, for their part, has reportedly assured Barcelona that their youngsters won’t be overloaded with minutes this summer.
But the assurance is unlikely to help Barcelona’s case and the Catalans are likely to take every step possible to prevent their players from competing in both tournaments.
Barcelona’s arch-rivals Real Madrid have already taken a strong stance and have barred their players from competing in two competitions this summer.
We will have to wait and see whether Barcelona come up with such stringent measures.
