Yamal challenges Real Madrid in the Champions League: admits weakness against Bayern and Paris
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona's young star, has raised the banner of defiance against arch-rivals Real Madrid, while admitting the Catalan side's weakness against teams such as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
The teenager appeared as a guest on "Universo Valdano", sitting down with Jorge Valdano for a lengthy interview that ranged across clashes with Real Madrid, the club's Champions League complex and racism in the game.
"I hope to face Real Madrid in the Champions League"
Yamal spoke about the Clasico, recalling the moment some of his team-mates tasted their first encounter against Real Madrid.
He said, as reported by "Mundo Deportivo": "I remember that Rashford's first Clasico ended with us losing 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, and I watched him play and said he still doesn't know what the Clasico is. And in the return leg he realised what the Clasico means, when he scored from a free kick and played at a different rhythm."
"When you come from La Masia, from the very first Clasico you play you know what happens in this match, and you realise it is a war," he added.
Could the two giants meet in Europe? "We have never faced Real Madrid before in the Champions League, and I hope we face them in this competition," Yamal said.
"Our weak point against Bayern and Paris"
Yamal also pinpointed the opponents who give Barcelona the most trouble in the Champions League, naming the sides that lean hardest on physical power.
Reflecting on the club's decade-long wait for a continental crown since 2015, the Barcelona star said: "Our weak point is against opponents like Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain, because they are more physically strong and force you to run a lot and to stay focused throughout the match."
Arsenal, he suggested, pose a different kind of test. "As for Arsenal, the match against them is more tactical, and relies on possession of the ball," he added.
Asked who he tips to lift the trophy, he said: "I think Paris Saint-Germain, but the problem is that winning after winning is extremely difficult. This is the hardest thing in football."
He went on: "When you win a title, repeating the win is the hardest thing. This is the fear that grips me when we win something, which is that we feel relaxed."
"The punishments must be more serious"
Racism in football was next on the agenda. Yamal, who has been targeted by abuse at several grounds himself, called for far tougher sanctions against those responsible.
He said: "There are measures being taken, but some decisions must be more serious. When a person commits a racist act and everyone is watching it, and there are millions of children following it, he must be punished in the appropriate way."
"There are many good measures being taken, but I would change the way of punishment. This is something that cannot be tolerated," he continued.
