Barcelona are well aware that while on the pitch Lamine Yamal appears to be handling the pressure well, they will have to be vigilant with his development off it too.
The 15-year-old made his debut on Saturday night to much fanfare, smashing the Barcelona record for the youngest ever player to debut with the club, previously set by Ansu Fati. Neither was Yamal fazed by the setting though, as he created two chances against Real Betis, and ultimately was unfortunate not to end up with a goal or an assist.
However Barcelona are conscious that his situation must be managed carefully. Earlier in the season he was suspended for four matches for disciplinary issues while on Spain duty.
As per Sport, the club are keen to ensure that he does not lose sight of the important things, and are putting in place a plan of action as a result. They appear to have cited Gavi as the example to follow for Yamal, who also broke into the team at just 16.
“We had a very serious conversation,” La Masia Director Mike Puig explains, after Yamal’s suspension.
“I told him that there were things that could not be done, that certain lines could not be crossed. The kid thanked me for everything we talked about and accepted the penalty imposed by the club without any problems. He is a kid who is very focused, that’s why what happened surprised me. He had a very receptive attitude, at all times he showed a purpose to amend and I doubt that he will repeat something like that again.”
Gavi came through the La Masia system and appears to have adapted well to the first-team dynamics at Barcelona despite his young age.
“We have a recent example with Gavi, who was the fourth youngest rookie in the League. These cases must be treated naturally and maintain the same degree of demand and rigour in all aspects.”
“It is important that they keep their feet on the ground. It is true that they experience a change. They lose their anonymity. They go from being anonymous to almost not being able to go outside. This has to be dealt with. When Gavi made his debut, I remember that I sat down with him and showed him the list of the ten youngest debutants in the history of Barca. Unfortunately, some of them had not made a career in the first team, they could not win a place.”
It appears Puig will play a crucial role in this strategy.
“In a few days, when I see Lamine, I’ll do the same. I’ll sit with him. I want him to explain his experience to me, but I’ll show him that list so that he can see that he have to keep working and keep your feet on the ground. Because once you get there, the important thing is to stay.”
In the background of this issue is the fact that Yamal is in contract negotiations with Barcelona, and has superagent Jorge Mendes also managing him. The 15-year-old has some turbulent months ahead, and keeping his feet on the ground might be as tricky a task as managing his talent.
