Forward says that the team are “grateful” to Xavi and “without him, none of this would have happened”
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has credited former manager Xavi Hernandez for the role he played in the club’s recent title win. The former Barcelona coach gave starts to several young players, including Yamal.
“We are really grateful to Xavi because without him, none of this would have happened,” Yamal told Barca One. “He’s the one that handed debuts to so many young players and we want to thank him for that.”
Yamal made his debut for the club at just 15 years old from the Barcelona reserve team, as Xavi had the tendency to rely on youth. Others who came on-board alongside Yamal include Pau Cubarsi, Hector Fort, Marc Guiu and Fermin Lopez.
This is not the first time Yamal has hailed Xavi, not just for his introduction to the team but also in helping him become a better player. Last year the forward said that Xavi told him not to be fearful and to enjoy his football if he is to become a better player.
“As Xavi says, fear is something you should not have,” Yamal, 16 years old at the time, told Barcelona’s magazine. “It can hurt you in the game; It does nothing positive to think about fear. You just have to be happy and enjoy having the ball at your feet.
“It was [Xavi] who trusted me. Furthermore, now he is giving me a lot of consistency, since I am accumulating many minutes. I am very happy, very happy and very grateful to the figure of Xavi.”
Pau Cubarsi, who has now become a mainstay in Barcelona’s defence, also made a similar point about Xavi.
“I will always see Xavi as the coach who gave me my debut,” he said in an interview with SPORT last year. “A coach who helped me a lot. A ten person both inside and outside the team.
“He has always been by my side and I am very happy with what he has done for me.”
