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Barcelona footballer Lamine Yamal asserts that his rapid maturation has allowed him to adapt to the demands of elite football earlier than other young players, and he remains convinced that he will continue to improve over the coming years, to the point of considering that it will be "difficult" to find someone "who is" at his level.
"There is one thing I have going for me: I have gone through maturation processes very quickly. It is difficult for young players, even if they have a lot of talent, to adapt to the elite level. It makes me happy to know that four years from now I will be much better. I think it will be difficult to find someone who is at my level," states the Spanish international.
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The hunger to win
These statements are part of an interview broadcast this Friday by the program 'Universo Valdano', on the Movistar Plus platform, in which the Barcelona forward explains that the demands he places on himself are one of the factors that allow him to maintain his ambition despite the titles he has won at 19 years old.
"One hundred percent, love for football and ambition. People doubt me more about the second one. They think that because I have won a World Cup, a European Championship, and a League title, I don't want to win three World Cups and five Champions Leagues. But I say it: the day I won the World Cup, I already wanted to win another one. After winning three League titles, I want to win six," he claims.
The Barcelona winger ensures that he lives "by and for football" and that his way of showing gratitude for everything he has achieved is to "always play and always want to win."
"I feel pressure like an adrenaline rush. I couldn't play a game without thinking that someone expects something from me or that I expect something from myself. I always look for something to put pressure on myself and prove that I can handle more and more. It's something that only football gives me and I love it," he points out.
Self-criticism to continue growing
Lamine Yamal is also self-critical of his performance in the last World Cup, despite having contributed to the success of the Spanish national team. "I didn't leave happy after winning the World Cup. The injury thing is true, but it has nothing to do with it. If the World Cup were repeated at another time, I would feel the same way, even without the injury," he explains.
"I did many things that people didn't see. For the coach, a player who drags three defenders with him is incredible, but based on my performance, I know I could have done more," he adds.
This self-demand explains why his goal is not limited to accumulating titles or improving his statistics, but to continue raising his performance on the pitch. In this sense, he acknowledges that he is still working on perfecting aspects such as finishing, giving himself "a few extra seconds in front of the goal," and his play with his right foot.
An evolution that, for Lamine Yamal, cannot be measured solely through numbers. "There are moments when I have noticed that I have put on a show, and maybe I didn't score a goal, but I go to bed happy," he affirms.
At another point in the interview, the player from Rocafonda (a neighborhood in Mataró, on the outskirts of Barcelona) talks about his evolution as a footballer and his intention to progressively abandon the position of a winger glued to the sideline.
"The Lamine who is glued to the sideline like when I was 16 will never return. The more I move inside, the more dangerous I am for the opponent," he maintains.
The 'Champions League', the great goal
His ambition also extends to the Champions League. The winger believes that Barcelona must openly recognize that its main goal is to win back a continental tournament it has not won for eleven years, and he states that the team has the capacity to fight for every title.
"I like people to arrive in the locker room obsessed with winning it. The problem would be if someone came out and said that we are going to win it no matter what. We have the team to do it. It would be very cowardly on our part not to admit that we are going for the 'Champions' and that we are only going for the League," he asserts.
Admiration for Messi and Neymar
The interview also leaves room to talk about his role models, including Leo Messi and Neymar Jr. Regarding the Argentine, Lamine Yamal highlights that he is "the best player in the history of football," although he acknowledges that even in the case of the Argentine, it was difficult to imagine the level he would reach at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, where the Albiceleste reached the final.
"Everyone knows he is the best in history, but no one expected the World Cup he had. Argentina has good players, but no one expected that a player at Leo's age, even if it was Leo, could do things at that level," he explains.
Of Neymar, on the other hand, he recalls the influence he had during his childhood and, above all, the Brazilian's ability to turn football into a spectacle.
"I am a person who always tries to be happy. Neymar was happiness, someone who entertained you watching him play. My childhood was waking up and putting on a video of Neymar's dribbles; waking up and putting on a video of goals," he remembers.
The PSG, the rival to fear
The Barcelona forward also reviews his preferences as a spectator and acknowledges that he closely follows football in other leagues, especially the Premier League.
"I like watching Betis. Villarreal is a very fun team. From the Premier League, I watch them all: very entertaining matches that you put on at noon and enjoy," he comments.
Among the big European teams, he highlights Paris Saint-Germain for their ability to dominate games. "I like watching PSG in the 'Champions League' because I like how they subdue the rival, how they are so superior to the other team," he points out.
His status as a Barcelona player, however, also affects his relationship with some rivals. "I do watch Madrid, but since you always want them to lose, many times I skip it," he acknowledges with a laugh.
In any case, Lamine Yamal identifies the Parisian team as "the team to fear" and also points to Bayern Munich among the rivals that can pose the most difficulties for Barcelona due to their physical power.
In contrast, he considers that Arsenal, because of their style of play, bears more similarities to the Barcelona squad, which is why their matches would be "easier to face," he concludes.
[Publicidad]