Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said he neither remembered nor is interested in Hansi Flick’s complaints about the national team’s handling of Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona star Yamal returned from Spain duty this month with a groin injury after playing over 70 minutes in World Cup qualifying wins against both Bulgaria and Turkey.

The 18-year-old has subsequently missed Barça’s games against Valencia, Newcastle United, Getafe and Real Oviedo, with Barça coach Flick accusing Spain of not taking care of the player.

– Flick slams Spain’s handling of Yamal injury
– Flick on Yamal’s Ballon d’Or hopes: ‘One day’
– Mark your calendars: First Clasico date revealed

“Right now I don’t remember what Flick said,” De la Fuente commented at an event on Thursday. “Neither is it of any interest to me.”

Yamal joined up with Spain earlier this month with a slight groin issue which was aggravated by starting both matches with La Roja.

Flick complained he had been unable to train with Spain and was only able to play after taking painkillers.

“This is not taking care of players,” Flick said. “Spain have the best team in the world, in every position they are unbelievably good. I am really sad about this [situation].

“I never really spoke with [De la Fuente about it]. Maybe my Spanish is not good, his English is not good, so this is a problem.

“Normally, the communication, because we have more players there than just Lamine, could be better. I was also on this side as [the Germany] national team coach, so I know how hard this job sometimes is, but the communication with the clubs was always good.”

Yamal, who scored two goals and provided two assists in his three Barça appearances this season before getting injured, is expected to return soon, with Barça hosting Real Sociedad in LaLiga on Sunday and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.

He’s one of several Barça players currently sidelined, with Marc-André ter Stegen, Alejandro Balde, Fermín López and Gavi all missing Thursday’s game at Oviedo as well.

Senior Jalen Montonati, the No. 44 player in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT 100 basketball rankings, announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Thursday, giving coach Steve Lutz his first top prospect since taking over the Cowboys in 2024.

Montonati, the top high school player in the state of Oklahoma, also visited Kansas State and Oklahoma, but the 6-foot-6 wing opted to play where his father suited up for Eddie Sutton in the late 1990s.

“In a time with so much portal recruiting, they made me a priority,” Montonati told ESPN. “The day after Coach Lutz got the job, he called me and expressed that I was a priority. The support and love from Coach Lutz and the staff was great all summer long. They attended all my games.”

Oklahoma State made it clear to Montonati earlier this month that he was their top target with a late-night in-home visit on the first day of the recruiting period.

“When the September recruiting period opened, they came to my house at midnight. They wanted to be the first ones to see me,” Montonati said. “We have built a great relationship where we talk about basketball and life off the court.”

A product of Owasso High School (Oklahoma), Montonati averaged 15.8 points on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring and summer for the MoKan grassroots program, including a 29-point performance against Brad Beal Elite at the Nike Peach Jam in July. Montonati also helped lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, pacing the team in 3-pointers.

Montonati is a shooter with length who is capable of getting clean looks against closeouts and in contested situations. He’ll be an immediate asset as an off-ball threat, someone who opens the floor for others and moves off screens.

He’s the first commitment for Oklahoma State in the 2026 class.

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) formally reprimanded Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav over his political statements after their Asia Cup game against Pakistan on September 14, sources said on Thursday.

The ICC held a hearing on an official complaint filed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in which it reportedly advised Yadav to refrain from making political statements in the future.

The controversy stems from his post-match comments after India defeated Pakistan in the group stage of the Asia Cup on September 14.

The PCB, in its complaint, accused the Indian captain of politicising cricket and violating the ICC’s code of conduct on neutrality.

Sources said the PCB submitted a detailed letter demanding strict action, claiming that Yadav’s remarks were against the spirit of the game and harmed cricket’s reputation.

The issue arose during the high-profile game between the arch-rivals, which drew significant attention both on and off the field.

Tensions had heightened at the toss when both teams skipped the traditional handshake, reportedly at the match referee’s advice.

India won the group-stage match by seven wickets, but Yadav’s comments have continued to attract criticism, with pundits calling them “unprecedented” and “detrimental to the spirit of the game.”

Separately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lodged a formal complaint with the ICC against Pakistan’s Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their on-field gestures during the Asia Cup Super Fours clash in Dubai last Sunday.

The complaint, reportedly submitted via email on Wednesday, highlights Farhan’s animated celebration after reaching his half-century and Rauf’s gestures toward fans while fielding at the boundary, incidents that went viral on social media and sparked widespread debate.

If the players deny the allegations, the ICC is expected to hold a hearing, where they could appear before match referee Richie Richardson. Andy Pycroft is also serving as a match referee for the tournament.

Both Pakistan players are scheduled to appear before the ICC governing body on Friday.