Copyright Athlon Sports
Lamine Yamal has been on everyone’s lips recently, following his statements before the match between Barcelona and Real Madrid that ended in victory for the Merengue club by 2-1, with post-match controversy included. Yamal, 18, referred to Los Blancos as a team that “steals” and that complains, which did not sit well with Dani Carvajal, who confronted him after defeating his national team teammate. Former soccer player and winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1987, Ruud Gullit, sent a strong message to the young Barcelona winger, asking him to focus on playing football. “Lamine Yamal needs to shut his mouth and stick to playing football. Let this be a lesson for him,” said Ruud, in statements collected by SportyTV. Lamine Yamal’s Words Backfire After Poor Performance in El Clasico Luck was not on Yamal’s side following his statements against Real Madrid and after losing El Clásico, so, logically, the main recommendation for him is to focus on his game. In fact, the 18-year-old forward had quite poor numbers at the Santiago Bernabéu, with an expected goals (xG) of 0.03 and an expected assists (xA) of 0.37. According to El Chiringuito, this is explained by the fact that Yamal played injured. “Around 15 days ago, his entourage informed Barcelona about recurring pubic pain, and the club is now consulting specialists in pubalgia to find the best treatment and prevent further complications.” The assistant coach of Barcelona, Marcus Sorg, also spoke after the match, and although he did not mention anything about the player’s physical condition, he acknowledged that he still needs help to face teams that prepare especially to stop him. “It was clear that they had a plan to stop Lamine Yamal. We have to help him. (…) He is still learning how to deal with the crowds. With the chants, the whistles, the hostile environment against him,” said Sorg.
