Javier Saviola Recalls Spotting Lamine Yamals Special Talent at La Masia
Former Barcelona forward Javier Saviola praised 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, saying his talent was obvious from his early La Masia days. While assisting Barcelona’s Juvenil A side, Saviola noticed Yamal’s unique movement and rare qualities.
He also revealed the coaching staff focused on managing Yamal carefully, knowing he had strong potential to reach Barcelona’s first team.
Going to the roots of Lamine Yamal’s rise at FC Barcelona, former player and youth coach Javier Saviola has revealed that the winger stood out from a very young age. Now only 18, Yamal has already become one of Barcelona’s most exciting stars, but according to Saviola, his talent was obvious long before his senior debut. Saviola worked as assistant coach for Barcelona’s Juvenil A side, where he closely monitored several academy prospects.
During that time, he also coached players like Pau Cubarsí and Héctor Fort, who have also progressed well in their careers. However, he admitted Yamal was clearly different from the rest because of his movement, technical quality, and maturity at such a young age. The Argentine even compared the feeling of watching Yamal develop to seeing Lionel Messi as a teenager, saying experienced football people can quickly notice rare talent.
Rather than worrying about Yamal’s football skills, the coaching staff focused on managing his development properly, knowing he had a strong chance of reaching Barcelona’s first team. Saviola also praised former coach Xavi Hernández for quickly identifying the quality in that generation and helping multiple academy players move into top-level teams.
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