Lamine Yamal and the fear of ending up like Neymar

BarcelonaI accept it, he's done it. And writing this article is proof of my defeat: you've scared the hell out of me about Lamine Yamal. Seeing how he plays, until now I was sure there was nothing to worry about. That he was a young man capable of training and competing properly without having to give up enjoying life like any other teenager.

But between the 18th birthday party this summer, the vacation in Brazil, and everyone talking about his social and romantic life, I started to worry. In these cases, what I did was remember that all the players in history who have excelled have done their thing as youngsters. In an era without social media, all this was talked about less, but one of the luxuries of being a journalist is being able to speak to retired footballers who tell you about how they went out partying. Many denied it when they were active, but once retired, they admit that when they were young, they didn't stay home every night. Think of any name in football you admire: they're all young, and they've all had conversations with coaches at some point, who told them they should take care of themselves. Nothing serious.

But I've finally gotten a little scared to learn that Hansi Flick is asking Lamine Yamal to work harder. To focus, to help out in defense, to not think everything is so easy. It's true that watching Lamine Yamal makes it seem as if football is as fun as playing on the school skateboard or on the beach. It seems like a trick in a video game where by quickly clicking two keys a player invents an impossible play on the screen. But no, football is about effort and work. Sacrifice and preparation. And the one who exemplifies this right now is Flick, and I believe everything he says in a press conference. When he speaks, you have to listen. If someone made a wooden statue of Flick and paraded it through Barcelona's Carrer Ferran among tourists, I might be right behind him.

The German is the key to this Barça team, and after urging people to take care of their egos, he publicly warns Lamine Yamal. And it's here that I feel scared. This is where the ghost of Neymar Junior appears. When the Brazilian forward played for Barça, especially in 2015 and 2016, his tricks inspired a similar fascination with us as Lamine Yamal. He later became a shining example of a player who could have been the best, but was tempted by the sins of a life of luxury and excess outside of football. We trust in Flick. We trust he will be a key influence on the young Lamine Yamal, and his voice will outweigh the example of Neymar, with whom the Mataró native spent part of his vacation.