Lamine Yamal praises Hamza Abdelkarim, sings the praises of Mohamed Salah and settles the debate on the greatest of all time
Lamine Yamal didn't stop at Barcelona's progress under Hansi Flick. The Spain star also singled out Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim for praise, tipping him for a bright future, and spoke about Mohamed Salah and the Egypt national team before settling on his choice of the greatest player in football history.
Speaking to the "From Cairo" programme on the "ON Sport" channel, Yamal said Barcelona have taken a leap this season in understanding and harmony between the players. "We play for the good of the team, and our goal is always to win," he stressed.
Asked how he balances enjoyment on the pitch with carrying out Flick's instructions, he explained: "I try to play as effectively as possible, to make the difference and give everything I have to the team, but my main role is to achieve balance. The team adapts to the presence of a number of players, and every player is distinguished in what he does."
Special praise for Hamza Abdelkarim
Abdelkarim's abilities drew genuine admiration from the teenager. "He is a forward who scores a lot of goals, and he has a high ability to adapt," Yamal said. "A bright future awaits him, and he possesses all the qualities that make him a wonderful forward, and he will score many goals for the team."
On staying motivated after winning the World Cup and the European Championship, Yamal said: "With calm and the desire to achieve more, and no one gets bored of winning."
Turning to the Champions League, he added: "Luck must be on our side, and we must play to win the title, and I hope to achieve the title this year."
Messi, Pelé or Maradona?
The Barcelona star also had warm words for the Egypt national team. "Everyone knows that Egypt has distinguished players, and I was waiting for this level of performance against Argentina," he said. "The Egyptian national team has a distinguished technical level, not just a physical one."
Salah earned a nod too. "Mohamed Salah is a great and very important player," Yamal stressed, before sending a special message to Abdelkarim: "He has the skills and abilities to be a legend."
Then came the big question: the greatest in football history, Lionel Messi, Pelé or Diego Maradona? Yamal didn't hesitate. "Messi. From what I have seen and watched, I will choose Messi for everything he has offered and everything he offers."
