Bojan: To protect Yamal from off-field influence, Rashford still needs time to verify
6686 Sports, October 25th Recently, Bojan, the former Barcelona player and current Barcelona youth training coordinator, accepted an interview with the podcast La Pròrroga at Barcelona Sports City. In the interview, Bojan talked about La Masia youth training, Yamal, Rashford and other related issues.
On Yamal’s explosion
“Yamal is a genius, an extraordinary player, his progress, his way of playing, his innovation are all special. Yes, but what I admire most about Yamal is the way he handles this situation: he is a calm kid who gives his best in every practice and wants to win, He's a true professional. For me personally, he's outstanding because everything he's been through has been hard-earned and the way he's dealt with it is admirable. "
"The idea of a 'new Messi' or a 'new Neymar' is part of the football world and we like to use it as a reference, but Yamal is Yamal, not in terms of his game or his mentality. What we have to do is support him as a club, as a fan, as a media. "
"He's just an 18-year-old kid who has a bright career, he's had a very explosive start and is already one of the best players in the world. His mentality is great, he's a model professional and an incredible player. Put it under a protective cover and not let things that have nothing to do with football affect him."
On Rashford's transformation
"We have just had an almost unbeatable year, dominating every stage of the game. This is a new season, so it is very demanding because it is Barcelona. After Villa and Paris Saint-Germain), the situation seems a bit bad. "
"Football, especially here, is a matter of split-second judgment. Rashford is a good player who has spent many years in different football environments, both in his personal life and in his career. We have to let him go through a process, including resilience, adaptability. Strength, as well as the evolution and development of the team. In the next few months, we will see the performance of each player, especially Rashford. At the moment, his performance is very good."
On the Barcelona youth team
"Players must cherish their time in the Barcelona youth team, Barcelona B team or the first team. It's a bit disorienting, 15, 16-year-olds are training with the first team. When a player goes on tour with the first team at 17, 18 or 19, the coach decides which players can and can't go, but that doesn't mean it's going to be harder and harder for players who don't go to the first team to go on tour or train in the weeks leading up to the competition. It’s a huge reward.”
“Flick hopes that they can maintain their original or even higher level when they are in the Barcelona youth team and continue to go all out so that they can return to the first team or assist the reserve team. Some players cannot go on the expedition because there are only two or three players left in their positions, but other players may have less competition, but everyone must evaluate their situation.”
