Lamine Yamal, Barcelona player
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
The explosion of talent at Barcelona and Real Madrid in recent years has made El Clasico a hugely anticipated fixture this upcoming season.
It has always been one of the most anticipated fixtures in club football, but the hype surrounding it has only increased with the return of Jose Mourinho.
Arguably, the biggest talking point of Clasicos in the past couple of years has been the battle between Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
The 19-year-old says he would like Barça and Real Madrid to finally meet in the Champions League.
Lamine wants a Champions League Clasico
Speaking on Movistar Plus’ Universo Valdano, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Lamine discussed the rivalry and explained why Clasicos carry a different meaning for players who have grown up inside Barcelona’s academy.
“When you come from La Masia, from the first Clasico you play you already know what this is about and you know that this match is a war,” Lamine said.
Fermin Lopez, Barcelona player
Barcelona have had the advantage over Real Madrid in Clasicos in recent seasons. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
He then turned his attention towards Europe and something remarkably absent from the history of his young career.
“We have never faced Madrid in the Champions League. I would like us to face each other in the Champions League,” he said.
It would certainly be one of the biggest possible ties in European football. For Madrid, however, those words would hardly create any fear.
The Champions League is the competition most closely associated with the club’s identity, and a European Clasico would carry a completely different pressure from the league meetings Lamine already knows.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona player
Lamine is keen on facing the kings of Europe in the Champions League. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Lamine’s desire to face the kings of the Champions League shows his fearlessness, but Los Blancos will know that they have the emotional edge in such a situation.
Jose Mourinho will be determined to set the Clasico record straight
It is no secret that Barcelona have had the edge over Real Madrid in Clasicos in recent seasons, especially since the arrival of Hansi Flick.
However, if there is one person who understands the intricacies of the fixture better than anyone else, it is Jose Mourinho.
During his first stint at the club, his battles with Pep Guardiola in these fixtures were so intense that they bordered on toxicity.
He will be keen to get Madrid back on top and gain that early advantage against Hansi Flick, and it remains to be seen how the Clasicos play out this season.
Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid chiefs reach important conclusion over La Fabrica
Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid
Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Real Madrid are planning to place greater emphasis on La Fabrica, with Jose Mourinho and the club’s hierarchy seeing the academy as an important part of both their sporting and financial strategy.
According to Defensa Central, Mourinho and general director Jose Angel Sanchez share the view that Madrid’s academy should have a meaningful role in the club’s future planning.
The pair were together at the Santiago Bernabeu watching the final of the youth Intercontinental Cup, keeping a close eye on the next generation.
Mourinho keeping a close eye on Madrid’s youngsters
The idea is not that every academy prospect must eventually become a Real Madrid starter. Instead, the club want La Fabrica to consistently produce players capable of operating at an elite level.
Mourinho is already looking closely at what the academy can provide. Sergio Mestre, Raul Asencio and Thiago Pitarch have all been involved in the first-team scheme of things in recent months.
Thibaut Courtois and Thiago Pitarch of Real Madrid
Thiago Pitarch is the perfect example of how La Fabrica can help with sporting success. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
The Portuguese manager has always insisted that performance should matter more than age or reputation. If an academy player can offer something different, he wants to keep the pathway open to the first team.
Pitarch is the best example of this. The midfielder has already accumulated significant senior experience and is increasingly looking like a genuine first-team option rather than someone making up the numbers.
La Fabrica can help Madrid beyond the first team
As always with Real Madrid, the academy is not just there to produce players for the first team. The bigger gain comes in the form of sales.
Not every talented youngster will find space in a squad containing some of the world’s most expensive players.
Nico Paz, Como player
Madrid have profited from the sale of academy starlets like Nico Paz. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
However, developing players of the highest calibre can still generate important transfer income, as it has in recent seasons.
Los Blancos have executed this formula successfully with the likes of Gonzalo Garcia, Nico Paz and many other youngsters in recent years.
By selling them on for a decent initial transfer fee while retaining control through sell-on clauses, buyback options and right-to-match clauses, Madrid protect themselves from both a sporting and financial perspective.
Mourinho’s insistence and constant supervision over the academy is a positive sign in the long run for Madrid, and it remains to be seen how they use La Fabrica in the coming years.