Isaac Cuenca, the technical director of the Aitana Bonmati campus at Barcelona, has acknowledged that comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi are usually not unfounded. After watching Yamal from shut quarters, Cuenca is assured the 17-year-old has the standard to turn out to be a generational participant.
Barcelona Ace Lamine Yamal Has The World At His Toes
Coming by way of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Yamal made his official debut for the senior group on 29 April 2023. He got here on for fellow academy graduate Gavi within the 83rd minute in a 4-0 win over Actual Betis. Making his debut at 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days outdated, Yamal not solely grew to become the youngest participant in historical past in La Liga but additionally Barca’s youngest first-team participant since Armando Sagi in 1922.
The 2023-24 season, noticed him turn out to be an everyday at Barcelona. He featured in 50 video games for the membership in all competitions, scoring seven instances and offering 9 assists. In the summertime of 2024, Yamal helped Spain to the 2024 European Championship. Profitable the title a day after his seventeenth birthday, Yamal grew to become the youngest European champion in historical past.
Isaac Cuenca Claims Lamine Yamal Is Worthy Of Lionel Messi Comparisons
Naturally, Yamal’s meteoric rise has led to comparisons with the good Messi, and ex-La Masia starlet Cuenca believes he’s price all of the hype. Talking to Mundo Deportivo, he stated (by way of GOAL):
“I used to be at residence, and my nephew stored speaking about Lamine Yamal as a result of he heard about him in school, and my daughter too. I hadn’t seen him play but, and it occurs quite a bit that individuals say many younger gamers are developing, they usually make all these comparisons between each other, however I didn’t pay a lot consideration. We’ve all been in comparison with stars, and ultimately, some make it additional than others.
“In Lamine Yamal’s case, I spoke with Xavi to go see a Barca coaching session. Xavi opened the doorways for me, and I went to observe him. I stated: ‘Okay, that is one thing else’. The comparisons are truthful. He’s an excellent participant with quite a lot of potential.” At simply sixteen years outdated, what he’s doing, what he did within the Euros with Spain, there’s not far more to say. Now what’s left for him is to get pleasure from, maintain progressing, and, above all, for Barça to maintain him, maintain him, and we’ll see what occurs in a number of years.”
After having fun with an unforgettable 2023-24 season, Yamal is gearing up for an additional blistering marketing campaign. The 17-year-old has already proven his high quality this season, scoring as soon as and claiming two assists in three La Liga video games.
