Sport
Capello Admits Lamine Yamal Is a Top Talent but Says He’s Not the Next Messi
Former Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has shared his thoughts on the ongoing comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
Since Yamal’s rise to prominence last season, fans and pundits have drawn parallels between the 17-year-old Spanish international and the Argentine legend. Both players came through Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, and like Messi, Yamal is a left-footed right winger with exceptional ball control and dribbling ability.
The young star made his senior debut for Barcelona in April 2023 and has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting talents in football. So far, he has played 86 games for the club, recording 18 goals and 23 assists.
Despite the growing comparisons, Capello believes Yamal is not on Messi’s level. Speaking to MARCA, the Italian coach said, “He’s a kid doing great things. When he first appeared at Barcelona, people called him the new Messi. He’s not at that level. He’s extraordinary, spectacular, and a top player, but he doesn’t have Messi’s genius.”
While reaching Messi’s heights may be a tough task, Yamal has already made history for Barcelona. He finished eighth in the Ballon d’Or rankings and has won both the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy, proving he’s on the path to greatness.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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Super Eagles Star Calvin Bassey Opens Up on Nearly Walking Away from Football
