Lamine Yamal: 'I Left Fear Behind in the Park in Mataró Long Ago'

Lamine Yamal was chosen by Barça to speak ahead of the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, where the Catalans will face Inter Milan on Wednesday at Montjuic. His appearance made perfect sense, given the megastar status of the Rocafonda winger, who at just 17 years old will reach a milestone: one hundred matches with Barça's first team.

'It's my first semi-final and for many in the team as well. We are eager to reach the final, to show the team we are, and with great enthusiasm,' stated Lamine Yamal during an appearance where he displayed the same confidence in front of the microphones as he does on the pitch. 'I left fear behind in the park in Mataró long ago,' he quipped when asked if he felt daunted by what lies ahead, a player who surprised everyone with his new platinum blonde look at the Copa del Rey final. 'I do these things to make time pass faster because I get bored at home,' he joked.

'They can't beat us,' declared Lamine Yamal about the clash with the whites. Words that have stirred up Real Madrid fans, but Lamine Yamal cares little. 'As long as I win, they can't say anything. When they beat me, then they can,' he responded to those who see him as overconfident.

Far from that image, Lamine Yamal appeared measured in a press conference where he was asked about the legacy he wants to leave. 'To be remembered as someone who was a good player and who was respectful and respected. That's what my parents taught me at home,' explained the Rocafonda footballer, whose meteoric rise has been supported by an astonishing maturity.

'At my age, few have had a hundred matches with a club as big as Barça. What I value most is always being motivated. My consistency. My level at 17 at Barça is not something just anyone can achieve. That's what I value most,' he noted about the milestone he will reach against Inter, a star who doesn't mind the comparisons with Leo Messi that he often faces. 'I don't compare myself to anyone, and certainly not to Messi. I'll leave that to you. That comparison doesn't make sense, and with Messi, even less. I want to enjoy and make my own path. He's the best in history, I admire him. I don't compare myself to him,' he said in a press conference where he consistently emphasized his desire to contribute to collective success. 'More than the era of Lamine Yamal, I hope it will be the era of Barça,' he added.

He acknowledged the enormous demands of the Copa final against Real Madrid. 'The other day was the match where we suffered the most physically. Our legs couldn't take it anymore. We were all exhausted. When you reach a final against Madrid, the heart gives more than the legs. This is something we've lacked in other seasons, but this year we have it,' argued Barça's number 17 in an intervention where he also analyzed Inter.

'We know they are very strong in defense, and that's their best weapon. They counter-attack very well. We are very good with the ball. We have to give everything to advance to the next round,' he said about the team led by Simone Inzaghi, a formidable collective despite suffering a series of setbacks in recent matches and having world-class players. 'I really like Barella and Lautaro. Their team is a mix. They are among the best in Europe on the counter. It's a team I like to watch,' commented a player who didn't give much importance to the negative trend of the 'Nerazzurri'. 'It doesn't matter. It's a Champions semi-final. It's not like a league match, with all due respect. Previous results don't matter,' he insisted.

Finally, he praised the composure and talent of the young group of players who are starring in Barça's extraordinary campaign. 'For football, age doesn't matter. It's about the quality of each player. For football, if you're ready, you are. We are proving it. We are a young team performing at a very high level,' he argued.