‘Has quality but…’ – Ex-Real Madrid manager on Barcelona wonderkid’s comparison with Messi

If it was not already clear, Sunday night’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid showcased that Lamine Yamal is indeed a very special talent.

Just 16 years old, making his away El Clasico debut at the Santiago Bernabeu, Yamal dished out a fine performance, running circles around the Real Madrid defence.

The youngster, who had a goal ruled out in a controversial manner by the match official, won the Man of the Match award for his performance.

Naturally, his explosion on the scenes over the past year, his innate quality and his unlimited potential have drawn comparisons with another Barcelona academy graduate who went on to be the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi.

Fabio Capello on Yamal-Messi comparisons

Former Real Madrid manager and football legend Fabio Capello was asked to weigh in on Yamal and whether the comparisons with Messi were justified.

The Italian admitted that the 16-year-old certainly has a lot of quality in him and is an interesting player. However, he does not see Yamal becoming a ‘genius’ like Messi.

“I saw Messi at the Gamper and 20-25 minutes into the game I approached Rijkaard and asked him to lend him to me that season. He was a genius. Lamine has a lot of quality and is very interesting, but he won’t be a genius,” said Capello.

Messi is a ‘genius’ according to Capello. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

“Messi, Pele and Maradona were the geniuses. Ronaldo is very close,” he added.

On Messi and Ronaldo

When asked for his thoughts on the Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate, Capello made it clear that while he sees the Portuguese as a very great player, he does not see him as a ‘genius’ like Messi.

“Cristiano is a great player, a great goalscorer, he won titles and Ballon d’Or, but he is not a genius like Messi. He is a great footballer, but he is not a genius,” he said.

The former Real Madrid and Juventus boss also questioned the absence of goalline technology in La Liga following the controversy in the Clasico last night, saying:

“Speaking of Spanish football and the Clasico: How is it possible that there is no goalline technology?”

Source: SPORT