Barcelona boss Hansi Flick lashes out at claims of double standards after Lamine Yamal started against PSG despite being late, while Marcus Rashford faced punishment. Flick insists he's in full control and denies the rumours.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick found himself in the eye of a storm on Friday, forced to address swirling speculation that two of his star players, Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford, had been treated differently over minor disciplinary issues.

The controversy erupted after accusations that Barca's hierarchy pressured Flick into starting Yamal against PSG earlier this month, despite the young prodigy arriving late for a team meeting. Fans and pundits quickly pointed out that Rashford had been dropped from the starting line-up against Getafe in September for the same offence. The situation sparked whispers of“double standards” within the Blaugrana camp.

Flick did not mince words in his response, launching into a fiery rant aimed at those spreading rumours.

“I'd like to know where you're getting that rumor from. It's b*******. It's not true,” he told reporters.

He went on to defend his authority and relationship with his players:

“At this club, with Deco and the rest of the professionals, I have a real relationship. I believe in my work. I have their trust, and they wouldn't ask us for it. It's rubbish. Whoever said it lied.”

The pressure on Flick comes at a difficult moment. Barcelona have endured a rough patch this month, losing 2-1 to PSG in the Champions League and suffering a humiliating 4-1 defeat at Sevilla in LaLiga.

Despite these setbacks, La Blaugrana remain in second place in the Spanish top flight, just two points behind Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso, who have amassed an impressive 21 points from a possible 24.

For his part, Yamal-the Ballon d'Or runner-up-has battled availability issues this season due to a groin injury. Nevertheless, he has made an impact in the five games he has played, scoring twice and providing four assists. His talent and potential are undeniable, and Flick clearly sees him as a crucial part of Barcelona's present and future.

Rashford, meanwhile, has hit the ground running at Camp Nou, delivering three goals and five assists in his first 10 appearances. The England forward faced criticism for arriving late to a team meeting last month, but sporting director Deco emphasized that the club is satisfied with his contribution.

“He's on a simple loan, there's no penalty, and if we want him, we have an option to buy,” Deco told Mundo Deportivo last month.

“It's too early to talk about decisions for next season, but what matters is that we're happy with him. What we thought he could bring to us, he's bringing. He's a very high-level player. He exploded very early, then he had great seasons at United, then he had years of more complicated management with changes of coaches, and perhaps he struggled too because they demanded a lot of things from him there. But we're happy with him-that's the most important thing. These aren't decisions for now. Now it's time to focus on the games to come. A decision will be made, but that's not being discussed right now. There's a contract between the clubs but it has to be discussed.”

Barcelona's pursuit of Rashford came after missing out on Luis Diaz, who eventually joined Bayern Munich from Liverpool in a £65m deal. Reports suggest that Rashford accepted a 15% pay cut on his £315,000-a-week salary to secure his dream move to Barcelona. The loan deal includes a buy option reportedly worth around £27 million, giving Barca the flexibility to make the deal permanent.

Flick's focus now is on restoring confidence and consistency in his squad. With both Yamal and Rashford demonstrating their ability to influence matches, the coach will hope to steer Barcelona back to winning ways in LaLiga and the Champions League.

For now, however, Flick has made it clear: the rumours of double standards are false, and he remains firmly in charge of one of Europe's most scrutinized dressing rooms.

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