Joan Laporta once again defended Lamine Yamal in the face of criticism weighing on the young Barça striker. In an interview with El Chiringuitothe Blaugrana president insisted on the talent and maturity of the player: “Lamine is a genius. We must support him, give him the best advice, but he is already much more mature than a young person of his age thanks to what he has experienced. This fame can overwhelm him, but he handles it very well. He's 18, he trains every day. He is disciplined despite his groin pain and scrupulously follows the club's instructions to progress. He needs to be treated.”
The Barça president also recognized that the high-profile role of the player's father, Mounir Nasraoui, believing that his passion could complicate things: “Lamine’s father is extremely passionate and we have to take into account the fact that his son is 18 years old, that all this happened to them very early and that it is a little beyond them.” Finally, Joan Laport also addressed the fact that Yamal could make mistakes, but that this was normal for his age: “He will make mistakes like everyone else, and maybe more, because he is so young. He’s a young person who makes himself loved”.
