Barcelona legend Xavi, former coach of Lamine Yamal, reveals what he needs to ‘become one of football’s great geniuses’

Lamine Yamal’s breakthrough on the global stage at such a young age has sparked comparisons with some of soccer’s all-time greats. But at only 18 years old, the forward still has a long road ahead. Now, his former coach at FC Barcelona and legend Xavi Hernandez has revealed what Yamal needs to do to “become one of football’s great geniuses.”

Already a standout in Barca’s youth ranks, Xavi Hernández gave the youngster his first-team debut. When Yamal came on in the April 2023 La Liga game against Real Betis, he became the youngest player ever to debut for Barcelona at just 15 years and 290 days old.

In an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio, Xavi shared his expectations for Barcelona’s rising star. “He’s a ‘chosen one.’ He could become one of the geniuses in football history, and it depends on him — on his ambition and his passion,” the Spanish legend said.

The former Barcelona manager also recalled how exceptional Yamal was even as a teenager: “At 15 or 16 years old, was dribbling past professionals, and even during training sessions, the coaching staff would often ask ourselves who the best player was — and practically every day, or almost every day, it was him.”

FC Barcelona Head Coach Xavi Hernandez interacts with Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona.

He then drew bold comparisons between Yamal and some of Barcelona’s most iconic players. “He did special things — things you’d only see from Neymar or Messi, players of that caliber. I saw that he was ready, and I wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t afraid either; he had no fear, no complexes. He can make the difference. What he’s doing at his age is incredible,” Xavi emphasized.

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