The agent of Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has defended the teenager after he landed himself in hot water with his comments about Real Madrid before last month’s Clásico.
Public claims that Madrid “steal and complain” in regards to refereeing decisions only served to add an extra layer of tension to a fixture which rarely needs any such assistance. A 2–1 victory earned Madrid the bragging rights and started a wave of criticism about Yamal’s actions.
The game ended in an on-field brawl which appeared to be sparked by the teenager, while Madrid midfielders Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni both thanked Yamal for giving them more motivation to win.
“I don’t understand all the noise around Lamine Yamal,” his agent, Jorge Mendes, told Mundo Deportivo. “We’ve all been 18 and young once.
“What we must do is support him and help him as much as possible because he’s a great asset to the club. Lamine is the player everyone in the world is talking about—there’s a consensus that he’s the great footballer of both the present and the future. Having everyone watching you also comes with great responsibility and pressure. He’s handling it very well, and the best way to keep helping him is to let him focus exclusively on his work.
“Lamine knows perfectly well what he has to do both on and off the pitch, and that’s exactly what he’s doing—staying calm, working hard, and not talking too much. He’s a very intelligent and disciplined boy.
“He’s dealing with a minor physical issue together with the club, trying to manage it in the best possible way while continuing to play. The key thing is that he recovers properly and keeps contributing to the team. He’s very smart and learns something new every day. Speaking little and focusing on work is essential.
“The best thing Lamine does is speak through his football—no one does it like him, as we saw in the match against Club Brugge. In every game, he produces at least one moment of brilliance, something only a player destined for greatness can do.”
Joan Laporta
Joan Laporta wants more protection for Yamal. / Eric Alonso/Getty Images
Yamal’s ongoing groin issue, diagnosed as pubalgia, was first highlighted after his exploits with Spain during the September international break.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick lashed out at Spain counterpart Luis de la Fuente was what he felt was a lack of protection for Yamal, who has refused to rule out handing another load of significant minutes to the teenager during the upcoming round of international fixtures.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta urged De la Fuente to give Yamal the chance to continue recovering from his groin injury.
“I always see a call-up to the national team as recognition, and Lamine is the best in the world in his position,” Laporta said. “It’s normal that he’s been called up, but I’d like him to manage his playing time because, besides, Spain is practically already qualified; I think one point is enough.
“But I don’t want to influence the coach or get into any controversies. I understand why he’s been called up; it’s recognition. I see Lamine as having superlative quality. The fantastic match he played in Bruges... he’s angry because we didn’t win. He carried the team on his shoulders and played a superb game. It’s a pleasure and a joy to see him at this level.”
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