Barcelona in contact with RFEF over starlet’s potential withdrawal from Spain U-21 squad | OneFootball

On Friday, Lamine Yamal’s call-up to the Spain squad and his subsequent withdrawal after Barcelona confirmed the recurrence of his pubic discomfort dominated the headlines.

Amidst all that, though, it was almost missed that another Barcelona teenage prodigy, Marc Bernal, was named in the Spain U-21 squad by manager David Gordo for the games against Norway and Finland.

Bernal’s inclusion caused some surprise, considering he came back only recently after a year out and has only played 20 minutes this season. As such, Barcelona were upset by the development.

Talks underway between Barcelona and RFEF

Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and Bernal himself have held talks in recent hours and have reached a consensus that he should not go, although this is not yet official and therefore remains unresolved.

All three parties are understood to be in agreement, as the belief is that the call-up may have been premature, and it could be more beneficial for the teenager to continue following his carefully planned schedule of training and playing time in Barcelona.

Bernal could be withdrawn from Spain U-21 squad. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Bernal, for his part, has accepted all decisions so far, as he is also eager to represent Spain.

His inclusion in the Spain U-21 list, conditioned by several absences due to the Under-20 World Cup, caused surprise. In fact, Barcelona boss Hansi Flick openly criticised his call-up earlier today, saying:

“Marc Bernal isn’t ready to play many minutes and it’s a difficult situation. Right now, he’s not ready for many minutes. He’s coming off a serious injury that lasted over a year.

“He’s not 100 per cent. He’s not at the same physical level he was before the injury. The Federation should be careful and take care of him.”

Now, it seems like Flick and Barcelona can breathe a sigh of relief as it is increasingly likely that Bernal will be released from the Spain U-21 squad.