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2 months ago
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Lamine Yamal is the talk of the town right now. Following consistent performances in the Euros group stage with Spain, he has elevated his game even further during the knockout stages.
Yamal notably delivered a commanding performance in the recent semi-final victory over France, scoring one of the best goals of the tournament and being named the man of the match.
Now, all eyes will be on him as Spain takes on England in the finals of the Euro 2024. Speaking to Gerard Romero on Jijantes FC ahead of the game, Yamal touched upon his rapid succession and morale ahead of the grand encounter.
On the viral picture with Lionel Messi
The iconic pictures of Lionel Messi bathing Lamine Yamal as a toddler have been doing the rounds on social media as of late.
When asked about it, he said, “I have never spoken to Messi about the photo where he was bathing me…”
“At the time of the photo with Messi I was not aware, obviously. My father had it saved and we never brought it to light basically because of the issue of comparisons, which are never good,” he added.
Acknowledging Messi’s unique talents, Yamal remarked, “No one is bothered by being compared to the best player in history. But those are things that remain because I will never be like him.”
The aftermath of the France game
Yamal was brilliant for Spain vs France. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Yamal claimed that the first thing he did following his record-breaking display against France was recharge his batteries and go to sleep. The next day he replied to all the congratulatory messages.
“After the game against France, the first thing I did was go to sleep and rest. Luckily I was able to. The next day I answered all the messages,” he said.
“At the end of the game against France, I saw the name ‘Lamine’ on all the Instagram notes. I realized that people were happy and supported me. I try to enjoy it and not think about the pressure,” the 16-year-old added.
Although Yamal never directly responded to Adrion Rabiot, who had dismissed him before the game, he subtly retorted both on and off the pitch.
“I have never spoken with Rabiot, neither before nor after the match. I focused on the final and gave importance to this,” he stated.
Talking about his preferred position, he mentioned: “In my position, what I prefer is to start on the wing and end up centrally, like in the France game. But I play wherever the coach puts me.”
Obsessed with winning
Reports have already claimed that Yamal is set to win the 2024 Golden Boy award, which barely comes across as a surprise, given his outstanding season.
When asked about it, the La Masia graduate professed that his priority is to win the elusive Champions League trophy.
“I didn’t know about the Golden Boy award. I hope I can win as much as possible, but I prefer to win a Champions League,” he expressed.
As for the number he will wear next season, Yamal seemed indifferent, claiming, “I don’t care what number I wear, as long as I play I don’t care. Maybe the number 17 that Marcos [Alonso] had, but I don’t care.”
Since breaking into the first team, Yamal has undergone a physical transformation. In fact, he has gained a tremendous amount of muscle mass and follows a strict fitness plan.
He touched on his improved physicality and said, “Due to age I have grown a little more. Andrés, Barça’s physical trainer, has been with me since I started. I always said that football was just legs, but no, you have to have a minimum of physicality.”
Aiming to unite with Gavi
Yamal hopes to have Gavi in attendance for the Euro final. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)Before suffering a cruel ACL injury, Gavi was a crucial part of the Spanish national team. He won the recent Nations League trophy with Spain and helped La Roja qualify for the Euros.
Yamal hoped that his club teammate would be present with the team regardless of his absence. “I hope Gavi comes on Sunday. He is part of this.”
On reuniting with Nico Williams at Barcelona
Talk of Nico Williams joining Barcelona this season is heating up, as the prospect of recreating Spain’s dynamic wing pairing at the club is no longer a distant possibility.
While Yamal did not hide his desire to play alongside him, he refused to acknowledge any efforts to convince him to join. “Nico Williams to Barça? I have nothing to do with it. But I wish I could play with him.”
“Nico and I are going to celebrate his birthday by going for a walk in the afternoon, make sure he is comfortable, and if we win when we get to Madrid I will give him something,” he added.
Grateful to Xavi
Former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez awarded minutes to several youngsters from the academy and his faith in a 15-year-old Yamal was a testament to his trust in La Masia.
Yamal thanked Xavi for his trust, stating, “I think the coach who has had the most impact on me is Xavi. He was the one who gave me my debut, and gave me confidence by giving me minutes.”
