Sport
Ramon Planes Tells Lamine Yamal to Stay Focused and Not Rush Ballon d’Or Hype
Former Barcelona director Ramon Planes has sent a clear message to young star Lamine Yamal, urging him to stay grounded despite the growing hype around his name, especially talks of him winning the Ballon d’Or this year.
Planes, who once played a key role behind the scenes at Barça, believes the 17-year-old still has a long way to go before being crowned the world’s best. He stressed that while Yamal’s rise has been remarkable, fans and the media need to be careful not to pile unnecessary pressure on him.
“There’s no doubt about his talent, but the real challenge is staying at that level for years,” Planes told Mundo Deportivo, as shared by Barca Universal. “We have to protect him and let him grow at his own pace. If he keeps performing like this for seasons to come, then we can start talking about awards like the Ballon d’Or. But right now, patience is key.”
Yamal has been making headlines with his incredible performances for both Spain and Barcelona. The teenager played a huge role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph and also helped Barça secure four trophies last season, including the LaLiga title, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de Espana.
Since breaking into Barcelona’s senior team under Xavi Hernandez in April 2023 at just 15 years old, Yamal has consistently proven himself as one of football’s brightest young prospects. Last season, he racked up 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 matches across all competitions, leaving many convinced he deserves to be recognised among the best in the world.
But Planes insists it’s still early days for the young forward, and the football world must give him time to develop without overwhelming expectations.
Former English footballer, Jamie Redknapp, makes bold suggestion regarding Mohamed Salah to leave the club, Liverpool.
The suggestion came after Liverpool manager Arne Slot criticized the player — a move Redknapp called out following Salah’s benching in the last match.
The former player shared “I don’t necessarily think in January. I just think we have got to let this settle. But I don’t foresee that he will see out the two years of his contract. I think it might be more in the summer.”
Arsenal football manager Mikel Arteta speaks on the team’s defeat against Aston Villa, 2–1, in their match on Saturday.
It can be recalled that Aston Villa scored a goal in the first half, but Arsenal scored back in the second half. After equalizing, Aston Villa scored another goal.
“In the first half we had moments, obviously had the best chance after a foul on Riccy [Calafiori] that Watkins goes through,” Arteta said.
“In the second half we started really well. Scored a goal and we were really dominant.”
Former Liverpool player, Jamie Carragher, speaks on Arsenal’s next match and claims that their game against Aston Villa will be challenging and described it as a test for the team to see how well they perform.
“Arsenal have looked the best team in the league by a long way so far this season, but Man City are still only five points behind.
There’s a long way to go and Arsenal will need to keep their heads! It could be tested tomorrow against Aston Villa!!”
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