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Lamine Yamal Thanks Xavi for Letting him Play for Barcelona and Win La Liga
Barcelona’s young star, Lamine Yamal, has expressed gratitude to former manager Xavi for giving him the chance to begin his journey with the senior team. Yamal shared his appreciation after helping Barcelona secure the 2024/25 La Liga title with a 2-0 victory over Espanyol, where he and Fermin Lopez each found the back of the net.
Reflecting on his breakthrough, the 17-year-old said the title win wouldn’t have been possible without Xavi’s trust in young talent. “I want to thank Xavi. None of this would have happened without him,” Yamal said after the game. “He believed in us and gave us the chance to step onto the big stage.”
He added that he remains deeply grateful for Xavi’s role in shaping his path. Xavi, a legendary figure at Barcelona both as a player and coach, had previously handed Yamal his first-team debut before stepping down from his role.
Former footballer Thierry Henry has shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s match following their loss to Atlético Madrid on October 13.
Speaking during a brief interview on CBS Sports, Henry criticised the practice of players or coaches expressing certain opinions through the media instead of addressing issues directly within the dressing room.
“I’m not a coach anymore, but I always say, whoever speaks like that, out. Keep that in the dressing room, it’s as simple as that,” Henry said on CBS Sports.
“That is the only way it can work. You have to say those things to a person’s face… going through the press, I am not really a fan of that.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has shared his thoughts on the 2026 Ballon d’Or award, revealing that he hopes the winner will come from his team.
The manager spoke about how hard his players have worked and expressed his belief that they deserve the recognition.
“What I hope is that we win this trophy. We have players who deserve it.”
“Last year, we were the best team. We showed that it wasn’t just Ousmane Dembélé who deserved it.”
French football pundit Walid Acherchour has named Lamine Yamal as his pick to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or, sparking reactions among football fans.
Acherchour’s choice came as a surprise to some fans, who expected him to support fellow Frenchman Kylian Mbappé instead.
Speaking about his prediction, Acherchour expressed confidence in Yamal’s chances of winning the prestigious individual award.
“For me, Lamine Yamal, he is going to get it [2026 Ballon d’Or]. For me, there’s no doubt anymore,” Acherchour said, as quoted by Actu Foot. That start to the season shows that in fact, he was injured during the World Cup. He was the best player in La Liga, and he won the World Cup.
“Even if, for me, in fact, he doesn’t have the Ballon d’Or unanimously because his World Cup was average, even being average, he won it with Spain. He won La Liga with Barça.”
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