He did not live the Champions League in Paris. He did not experience Ronaldinho at his peak with Barça. He did not experience Messi’s Maradonian goal against Getafe. Not even the first hat-trick of the Argentine against Madrid. He did not experience Zidane’s header against Materazzi. He has never seen two powers like Brazil or Italy become world champions. All this happened before July 13, 2007, when Lamine Yamal was born in Esplugues, who had not blown out the candles for 2 years in the final in Rome.
The youngest footballer to wear the Barça shirt in a league match since Saturday is very early. A Sputnik. A meteor. He is 15 years old, it is up to him to play with cadet B, he usually plays in youth A – he has scored 8 goals in 28 games – and he already knows what it is like to step on the Camp Nou.
The morning after his debut on Saturday night, the young promise of Barça woke up in his room at the Oriol Tort residence and before going to train a microphone and a television camera from the club were already waiting for him. She pointed out that she had made history. “I am very happy to be able to have this record, but I hope to be able to beat more,” she said in the gardens of La Masia.
Then he went to the Tito Vilanova training camp, in the same sports city, where he trained with the seniors. Before the session, the footballers made a corridor and forced Ter Stegen (it was his birthday) and Lamine Yamal to pass, between slaps, for a debut in which he was about to score, taking advantage of a slip from Montoya, and He wanted to assist Dembélé as a spoon, who did not impact well. He did not miss any of the eight passes he gave with the number 41 popularized in the NBA by Dirk Nowitzki.
“Xavi told me to gain confidence with the first passes and, if I could, face it. Let him do what he always did. It is what I tried, â€he explained.
The grandeur of the Stadium and the weight of the moment stunned him. “I felt a lot of emotions together. When I stepped onto the field, I was impressed by seeing the Camp Nou. But, little by little, all my nerves went away and I tried to be as comfortable as possible. I dedicate it to my family, friends and everyone who has been with me from the beginning, â€he confessed.
Until he turns 16, he will not be able to sign a professional contract but he has already tasted a sip of what awaits him if, together with the agent Jorge Mendes, he bets on continuing at Barça, where they have taken care of him since he was seven.
With the players from the subsidiary and the youth team that Xavi made his debut, an entire line-up could be made, since there are eleven: Iñaki Peña (goalkeeper), Mika Mármol, Chadi Riad, Marc Casadó (defenders), Ãlvaro Sanz, Aleix Garrido (media), Ilias Akhomach, Jutglà , Estanis, Alarcón and Lamine Yamal (forwards).
None has reached ten games with the first team. Three of them do not even belong to the Barcelona discipline.
Lamine Yamal’s challenge, despite being by far the youngest in the group, is to be the first to settle down and become a regular in the Terrassa coach’s calls after his first 7 minutes.
It won’t be easy because the competition for attacking positions at a club like Barça is fierce and it will be even more so in the future. On Saturday, Ferran Torres, who had started against Atlético and Rayo, was left without playing.
Xavi placed the young left-handed player on the left, with a natural leg. Although his ideal position is “right winger”. Like Dembélé, Raphinha or Messi. Lamine Yamal has time on his side. The future knocks on the door. A Sputnik approaches the Camp Nou.
