De la Fuente: Yamal subordinates his genius to serve the team

Spain’s head coach, Luis de la Fuente, praised Barcelona star Lamine Yamal for his outstanding performance, which included scoring two goals and providing one assist, in Spain’s 4-1 victory over Croatia in the second matchday of Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League, commending his ability to harness his talent for the benefit of team play. Speaking at a press conference after the match, De la Fuente said, “As you know, I prefer not to single out individuals, but sometimes it is impossible to ignore it. I must highlight Lamine’s work, both individually and collectively. He is an incredibly generous player who dedicates all his talent, genius, and brilliant playing style to the team.” He added, “It is wonderful to have him among us. I always repeat this.” When asked about Yamal’s (19 years old) chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, the Spanish coach, known for his strong sense of national pride, stated that football owes Spain “more than one player,” a reference to Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta during their time at Barcelona.