Lamin Yamal: “I hope to go far at the Euro, so I will watch the Games on TV”

As if infected by the calm that breathes Der Oschberghof and the training fields of SV Aasen in 1928, Lamin Yamal relaxedly goes to his appointment with the AS. Smiling, he still seems to see the debut against Croatia from a distance in the stadium with the Olympic Stadium liturgy that is the history of the sport. Football, studies, its origins and life in La Masia. He responds to everything with kindness and calmness, which is surprising for his 16 years.

He is not yet 17 years old, and he will have his first EuroCup. Feel it?

Well, I’m very glad. It’s a dream to play in the first Eurocup. I will try to make this the most special thing in my life.

Because of the way you play, many people say that you are a street player. How long did you spend there playing? Even more than in the fields…

Well, until I reached cadet age. When I reached that age, I stopped playing with my friends in case something happened to me. But he can spend ten or eleven years playing with them.

He is a fourth year ESO student. Did you bring your homework?

Yes Yes. I’m doing my homework online and I need to send it to my teacher.

You won’t be suspended, right?

I hope not.

If nothing happens, on Saturday he will become the youngest player in history to play at the European Championships. Even though you’re used to pressure, do you feel like you’re being watched?

No. After all, I came from Barça, one of the teams that is under the most pressure. What you need to do is try to have fun.

He can become a revelation player in the Eurocup. Great players like Mbappe are already known, but Lamine is new to the continent. Are you dizzy at such a young age?

No. Ultimately, it should motivate you and bring out the best version of you.

They say that such concentrations can be long, but in reality you live almost in this mode, because you are in La Masia. Does this have anything to do with this?

Yes, more or less similar. Maybe La Masia is not so closed because here you get up, we train and go back to the hotel all the time. Yes, it is true that in La Masia you are with your companions, you leave and you can return. But it’s similar because it’s also a hotel.

It was amazing that Messi once celebrated him by mentioning him. But when you play Play, you choose Neymar…

Well, for me Messi is the best, I always say that. But at the end of the day, the one you see and sometimes surprise is Neymar. But Messi is the best in history.

Kubarsi is one of his best friends in the dressing room. They say almost their thermometer. How is he doing, based on what you’ve talked to him about these days since he was taken off the list, and how are you coping?

In the end, this is news that is not pleasant because everyone wants to play at the European Championships. I tried to support him since we knew he was missing, but I talked to him and he is already happy and thinking about the next thing.

Kubarsi could go to the Games. Are you going to see them on TV or on TV?

I don’t know. At the moment we are in the European Cup. I hope to have fun and go as far as possible. So I hope to see them on TV…

As the season progressed, Xavi gave him his fix at Barça. There were off-peak months when he played less, but started and ended in the starting lineup. What was Xavi’s personal and football management like?

Well, I learned a lot about managing people. Throughout my career I’ve always been a starter in the lower teams and when you get into the first team you realize that sometimes it’s not your turn, it’s your teammate’s choice because he’s better or just because the manager decided so. . And on a sporting level, I think he dealt with me very well and allowed me to come to the European Cup fresh.

Do you Playstation players choose Lamine and Nico or Dembele and Mbappe?

Lamin and Niko (laughs…).

You often answer this question, but what does it mean to mark goals with the number 304, the last digits of the Rokafonda postcode, what does this have to do with the area?

It’s always been in me because my friends are there, my grandmother is there, my father’s family members are there. And I keep going because Rokafonda is the only place I can go without a hood or anything, and no one there asks me to take pictures or anything. I’m silent.

Who came up with the 304 thing, is it true, friend?

I was once suspended for three weeks without being able to play. The next day we had a game against Mallorca and I was with my friends. Someone came up with this. I did it and it stayed there…

When you go on the field and see players like Mbppe, Gundogan, Bellingham, do you think that they too might think that they are going to face Lamin Yamal?

At first this happened more to me. Because you turned around and knew them all. Less now. I try to enjoy it because two years ago I was watching the stars on TV while my mother was lying down; and now I’m there. Of course, it’s exciting because you think that now other children see that you feel the same way that you did a while ago.

How many centimeters has he grown, what is this physical evolution that is talked about so much?

I think they make a big deal out of it, but that’s okay because I’m 16 years old and I’m going to keep growing. Strength work is important because football is more physical than it has been in a long time. Like all my teammates, I work off the field, but usually.

The other day in Palma he did a zigzag on a bicycle and a tube, which caused murmurs from the public. Have you noticed this?

No, because when I have the ball my ears always close; I’m focused on the game. When Nico does this, I notice it because I’m not as focused.

This season, despite the fact that he was first in the elite and was young, his best performances coincided with big games: the match against PSG, the Clasico, Spain-Brazil. The big game awaits on Saturday. Will Croatia be the most important match of your career?

In the end, every game that takes place in the Eurocup will be the most important. But of course, yes, Croatia will be the most important.

What do you know about Croatia?

I think everyone knows this. A very strong team that is very difficult to beat because in these competitions they become strong. They have a lot of experience and we understand that this will be one of the most difficult games.

Are you ready to make history?

That’s why we come. We came to Germany not to party, but to win and we will do everything possible to achieve this.

Enjoy all the excitement of the European Cup in Bivenger, the official fantasy of Diario AS and number 1 on the market. Mbappe, Kane, Lamin Yamal… In Bevenger you can sign all the stars and make the decisions of a real coach. !Play European Fantasy for free and win great prizes by clicking here¡