Barcelona were cautious about starting Lamine Yamal at a young age due to concerns that other clubs might snatch him before he could sign a contract. Despite being only 17 years old, Yamal has already established himself as one of the world’s top players. In his first season with the Barca first team, he scored seven goals and provided nine assists in 50 appearances. This season, he has already contributed four goals and four assists in just six games. Additionally, Yamal led Spain to victory in Euro 2024 during the summer.
Former Barcelona sporting director Jordi Cruyff, who left the club in 2023, recently revealed that both he and former head coach Xavi were eager to play Yamal even earlier than planned. However, since Yamal did not have a professional contract at that time, they were concerned that other clubs would offer him more lucrative deals if his talent was exposed to the world. According to AS reports, Barcelona “hid” him during this period.
Cruyff shared an anecdote about Yamal’s early training sessions with the first team: “The first time he went to train [with the first team], after five minutes the coach, who was Xavi, looked at us and said ‘this is special’.” Cruyff wanted to give Yamal his debut sooner but had to ensure they secured a long-term contract with him.
Even veteran players recognized that Yamal possessed exceptional qualities that are hard to find. Cruyff made these comments after Yamal scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in Barcelona’s recent 2-1 loss against AS Monaco.
