Ex-Barcelona youth team coach Javier Saviola uses Lionel Messi example as he praises La Masia graduate

Former Barcelona youth coach Javier Saviola has used Lionel Messi as an example while praising Lamine Yamal. Saviola, who was assistant manager for Barca U19 from 2022 to 2023, was one of Yamal’s first admirers, having seen the young player from a close range.

The teenage prodigy's talent was clear to him the moment he set eyes on Yamal. In a recent interview, Saviola considered the youngster's uniqueness and connected it to Messi, telling SPORT (via Barca Universal):

“We saw Lamine as different from the rest. When you see players like Lionel Messi, who I had the opportunity to see when I was 12 or 13 years old, you realize it immediately, because you’ve been in football for a long time."

Lamine Yamal’s footballing talents were never in question, as the Argentine coach insisted. Instead, the issue was how to manage his meteoric rise.

“When a player this young shows different things, especially qualities that are uncommon at that age, you know there’s something special. And with Lamine that happened to us," Saviola said.

“We weren’t worried about his footballing side, but about how to manage him, because we knew that in the future he would have a great chance of making it to Barca’s first team," he added.

Yamal has lived up to expectations since, setting records as Barcelona’s youngest debutant and La Liga’s youngest goalscorer. He has been compared to Lionel Messi since he broke through the first team under Xavi Hernandez.

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Former Barcelona striker calls Lionel Messi comparisons for Lamine Yamal 'annoying'

Former Barcelona talisman David Villa has asked supporters and pundits alike to cease comparisons between Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi, referring to it as 'annoying.' Yamal is widely regarded as a future star, but Villa wants the 17-year-old to forge his own path.

Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, Villa said (via GOAL):

“I think that comparing any player to Messi is annoying nowadays. Lamine Yamal is already a world star. He’s been achieving important things for two years and, as a Cule, I’m excited again."

“And of course the fans have the right to be excited about him, but I don’t think it’s necessary to compare him with Messi because he’s going to have a very good career," he added.

Lamine Yamal has been a vital piece for Barcelona this season, scoring six goals and providing 11 assists in 24 La Liga games. His skill, confidence, and maturity on the ball have drawn inevitable comparisons to Lionel Messi, who graduated from La Masia and quickly began to shine, becoming the greatest player in their history.