“Let him express himself.” Rakitic responds to critics of Lamine Gamal

Former Barcelona football star Ivan Rakitic defended the current Catalan team star, Lamine Gamal, amid increasing scrutiny of the young player’s behavior and statements.

Rakitic stressed the need to allow the young star to express himself while continuing his development at the highest levels.

Yamal recently became the talk of the hour after a series of frank statements and angry reactions to his replacement, which sparked widespread controversy among fans and critics.

The promising winger (18 years old) is still one of Barcelona’s most prominent talents, but his personality and self-confidence sparked mixed reactions.

As Barcelona prepares for the crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against hosts Atletico Madrid later on Tuesday evening, the former midfielder stepped in to defend Yamal.

The Croatian star believes that the focus should be on Lamine Gamal’s exceptional abilities rather than the hype surrounding him, stressing the need for players to enjoy the moment during major European nights, despite the pressure that comes with representing Barcelona.

The Barcelona legend was quoted as saying to the newspaper (Barcelona Universal): “We know which matches are special, and we must prepare for every small detail with greater care.”

He added, “You should not forget to enjoy your time and be happy. The pressure is great, but there are millions who wish they were in your place. With Lamin, what we have to do is let him have fun, dance, and do what he likes, but I also want to see him take responsibility.”

Rakitic explained: “You don’t usually need to guide young players a lot, but Lamine has reached a stage where he demands a lot of himself and wants more, despite his young age. These matches are where he can develop greatly, and Barcelona needs him more than ever.”

He continued, “Since his first appearance, he has had that vitality and brilliance. I think that is the appropriate word. I am not from the young generation, but rather from the old generation, but this is football today. These things are part of the game, but the most important thing is what happens on the field after that, and he is performing wonderfully there – we cannot ask for more than that.”

While Rakitic praised Yamal’s innate talent, he admitted that managing such a unique talent requires strong leadership within the dressing room, as he said, “I think the word ‘difficult’ does not fully express the matter, but I think he would benefit from a leader like (Carles) Puyol, or Rakitic, or Xavi.”

Rakitic concluded his statements by saying, “However, it is not easy, because after that, when things go wrong, we blame his young age, and this applies to both success and failure.”