Jorge Sampaoli shares his views on Barcelona, Flick, Yamal and Pedri – ‘I would take him home’Legendary Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli recently sat down with SPORT to share his thoughts on Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, the rise of Lamine Yamal, and the exciting group of young talent coming through at the club.
Known for his deep football knowledge and experience at the top level, Sampaoli had plenty of admiration for what Barça are building.
Sampaoli admitted he’s been surprised by how quickly Hansi Flick has got Barcelona playing such exciting and organised football.
“I think that there is a maturity that has appeared in this project, which has helped Flick, who will surely have responsibilities in this performance of the team.
“But, as I say, see players like Pedri, Fermín, De Jong, Yamal, Raphinha himself, making decisions that he does not make in Brazil,” he began saying.
Yamal reminds Sampaoli of Neymar, not Messi
Sampaoli compared Yamal to Neymar. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)When asked about Lamine Yamal, especially after his outstanding performance this season, Sampaoli did not hold back in his praise. He compared the young winger to Neymar when he first burst onto the scene.
“He reminds me a lot of Neymar.”
While many liken Yamal to Messi, Sampaoli drew a clear line, saying, “Leo is something else. He’s the best ever, from the beginning to now. But Lamine has something Ney had — that flair, that drive.”
He described Yamal as a pure footballer — someone who plays with joy, does not complain, and always wants the ball, whether the team is winning or losing. He noted that he would want the Barcelona forward to win the Ballon d’Or.
“I want it to happen to him because he is only interested in playing football. He does not protest, he just wants to play.
“He always wants the ball to be inside the field, winning, losing, tying. He wants to take advantage of every minute of the game to make a different play.”
Praise for Pedri
Sampaoli also praised Pedri. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)As for other young talents at Barça, Sampaoli could not hide his admiration for Pedri. “I’d take him home just to watch him play,” he joked, calling the midfielder extraordinary.
Finally, when asked about whether Flick’s Barça are the best in Europe, Sampaoli put them right up there with PSG.
“They are the best, along with PSG, because Luis Enrique has players who also come in on time.
“They are a team, I think more are solid than Barça, without the inventiveness of Barça, even if they have Dembele, a lot of players who can also win a game on their own.”
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