Piss off Lamine Yamal

For geniuses, the chosen ones who are also fully aware of being touched by the magic wand, what drives them is the challenge of proving their superiority. It happens to Lamine Yamal, at just 18 years old. We saw it again in the league debut against Mallorca when the game was languishing at a comfortable 2-0, the opponent having nine players since the first half, intense heat, and in the final minutes of the match, they were undone. It was then that Jan Salas confronted him, a little shove, an exchange of words, and in the very next play Lamine took his footballing revenge with a trademark goal. The one you know he's going to score, the one he's scored before, and the one he inevitably ends up scoring because there's no one to stop him. It's a warning and also a declaration of intent: pissing him off is a terrible idea because I'm the king.

He then placed an imaginary crown on himself to celebrate, aware again that all his gestures instantly become iconic, knowing as he does that he is the fucking master, that he has the gift and, on top of that, for now, the desire, the hunger. Venturing to how far he can go and where his limits may be is suicidal and everything that is said or written can, and will, be used against you because what motivates him is precisely that: to show how extraordinary he is and that the boundaries are set by him and no one else.

Recognizing oneself as so different at such a young age, with the retinue of flatterers, opportunists, fans, and buffoons at his feet, must be incredibly difficult to manage. His controversial birthday party was an assertion of status, a display of power. Joan Laporta and Raphinha applauded him: bad business. That the president and one of the captains consider such ostentation not only logical, but also justifiable, at just 18 years old also demonstrates how lacking in references Lamine is. When everyone pays homage to you, you're much closer to losing sight of the world. Annoying him is a very bad idea on the pitch, but an adult, mature, and responsible environment that helps him grow off it would be advisable; lest the teenage mambo king become a tyrant of the times. Hansi Flick, by the way, doesn't shower him with praise... for a reason.