Barcelona manager Hansi Flick sent a message to teenage superstar Lamine Yamal ahead of the Blaugrana’s monster Champions League clash with PSG on Wednesday night.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the German was asked about Lamine and stressed the importance of focus and hard work for the teenager, and made it clear he wants to see a strong defensive effort from Yamal on Wednesday.
“For me, hyping a player up so much isn’t good. We’re focused on working hard. He’s talented and can go very high, and he can reach even higher levels, but he has to work hard. It’s not just about how good you are with the ball, but you also have to work defensively.”
PSG have a devastating attack despite the injuries to their starting front three of Ousmane Dembele, Désiré Doué and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, and left-back Nuno Mendes is a key piece of their offensive system. Yamal must be prepared to track back and defend against Mendes, and his coach has sent him a public message about it. It’s now up to Lamine to rise up to the challenge, with and without the ball.