FC Barcelona now return to La Liga action today as they conclude the recent international break with no major injuries. However, their opponents in this upcoming clash are fellow Catalan side Girona, and they are no pushovers. Last season, Barcelona got enough of a taste of defeat to understand not to take them lightly.
This time around, however, Barça have their own new elements to introduce to their opponents. The most significant of those will undeniably be Hansi Flick, who is a coach unlike Xavi Hernandez and mixes his own unique philosophies with a lot more experience as well.
Ahead of the game, however, Hansi Flick has recently given a press conference talking about the match and certain aspects regarding it. One particular statement of his that manages to catch the eye, however, as highlighted by MARCA, is one directed towards Lamine Yamal.
Already a household name for both club and country, Yamal’s ability to break records has been heralded ever since he made his debut. However, for his current Barcelona coach, the player still has to do a lot more to reach his ceiling and Flick has given him some pieces of advice:
“I believe Lamine is at a high level, but at his age, he can still improve and needs to. It’s fantastic to see how he trains every day. But he needs to progress, get better, and work hard… champions don’t rest. And I think that’s good advice. If he wants to be a great champion, he won’t be able to rest much; he has to keep pushing and pushing.”
While it is no secret that Yamal, being aged only 17, is still nowhere near his best version. The youngster continues to improve game by game and it is clear to see just how much of a threat he is and can become. However, it is simultaneously undeniable that he is one of the best football players in the world right now.
Yet, the words that come from Hansi Flick are exactly the kind of thing the player needs to hear. With the kind of potential he has, it would be an utter waste if Barcelona are not able to get the very best out of Lamine Yamal. To be fair to the club, however, they have their own plans to make sure that they manage to give him the right environment to succeed.
