Lamine Yamal will be one of the focal points of this week’s El Clásico. Despite not being in top form due to physical issues that have troubled him in recent weeks, his pre-match remarks have sparked dissatisfaction in Madrid, successfully adding more spice to the upcoming game.
Gerard Piqué believes it is normal for Madrid to criticize Yamal. “The rivalry between Barça and Real Madrid has always existed. They say we’ve stolen things, and we say the same about them. It’s understandable that Yamal is criticized by the opponents—because they wish they had a player like Yamal at Real Madrid too.”
Regarding Yamal’s character, Piqué said: “What he has achieved is remarkable. He seems to take everything in his stride, and that’s great. Over a 15-year career, you will experience failures. Yamal is lucky that things have gone smoothly since he joined Barça, but he will lose games, have off days, and face criticism. People learn from failures, and that will happen to him too. He will face increasing pressure and responsibility, though right now he seems to take everything in his stride—and that’s fantastic.”
“We have to accept Yamal for who he is. I don’t know what the future holds for him, but he has the chance to break all records. Obviously, he will gain experience; no one is the same at 18 as they are at 38. But he is very special—let’s not ruin him. We don’t know how long we’ll get to enjoy watching him play.”
Piqué also took the opportunity to highlight the changing trends in football in recent years: “Football has evolved in a crazy way. I used to play with players who smoked one cigarette after another the day before a game. If you did that now, you couldn’t compete at all. All footballers now focus on fitness and treat football in a different way.”
