As the international break draws to a close, several FC Barcelona players get right down to business. There are no more second chances left in the continental competitions, and every single match could be anyone’s last. Thus, for every individual Barcelona player still left, every match must be treated like a final.
The most anticipated game up next arrives in the form of the grand clash between Spain and France. Two of Europe’s strongest teams, they now meet in the first semi-final of the European Championship being held in Germany. Both sides house Barcelona players, and that is a great positive for the club.
However, ahead of the game, as highlighted by SPORT, French midfielder Adrien Rabiot seemed to think it was appropriate to target Barcelona winger and Spanish star Lamine Yamal in an attempt to intimidate the young 16-year-old winger:
“Obviously it could be difficult for him to deal with a semi-final in a big tournament… And to reach a final at the Euros, he needs to do more than he’s done up until now.”
Most probably that was Rabiot’s idea of playing mind games with the young winger, but Lamine Yamal is not the kind of player to back away from a challenge it seems.
As the report has pointed out, it is quite possible that the Barcelona starlet’s latest Instagram message could be directed right at Rabiot: “Move in silence only speak when it’s time to say checkmate.”
While this message could possibly be directed towards almost anything, potentially even the Nico Williams saga currently ongoing at Barcelona, SPORT suspects it is a direct reply to the French midfielder’s words.
Only time will tell where it is directed towards, but both players are certainly focused on the semi-final clash right now.
Barcelona, on the other hand, still has a handful of representatives within the Spanish National team. Yamal is one of them, and he is joined by the likes of Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez. Pedri was also previously a part of the participating squad and was a regular starter for the team, but an untimely injury has changed his fate.