Lamine Yamal has charmed everyone during this year’s EC.
Now Sven-Göran Eriksson sticks out his chin considerably about the 16-year-old.
“He should be at school,” writes Svennis about the 16-year-old.
On Sunday, the biggest match of the year in the world of football awaits, when England meets Spain in the European Championship final in Berlin. England are looking to break their title drought that has lasted since 1966(!), but have the EC’s biggest exclamation point this summer against them.
The tribute to Yamal
And it’s not just the toughest possible opposition that awaits England, perhaps the world’s greatest talent is also waiting. Lamine Yamal has had a huge breakthrough in Barcelona this season, and during the European Championship he has been one of the best players for both Spain and the tournament. In the semi-final against France, he became the EC’s youngest goalscorer ever with a real dream goal, and if there is anyone England need to watch out for in the final, it is the 16-year-old.
At least that’s what Sven-Göran Eriksson, former English national team captain, thinks, who in a column in The Telegraph goes so far as to compare Lamine Yamal with one of the greatest players of all time.
“Even Wayne Rooney was older than that when he broke through under me. Yamal’s imprint reminds me of the WC 1958 here in Sweden. Brazil had a young guy with them named Pelé. We all know his incredible breakthrough and two goals in the final. Yamal should be in school, but we are the ones who will be reading about him for a long time to come, maybe even until the World Cup 2042,” he writes.
Salute to Southgate
Sven-Göran Eriksson both hopes and believes that England will win the final on Sunday, and during this year’s championship he has come to an insight: how much he regrets the penalty loss in European Championship 2004, when England went out against Portugal.
“One of the things I regret the most as England captain was that I didn’t employ a psychologist who could handle that. I thought we were mature enough to handle the pressure that comes with penalties, but unfortunately that was not the case,” writes Eriksson.
Svennis also believes that Gareth Southgate has a chance to make history as England’s greatest coach if they manage to win on Sunday. Southgate has been under heavy pressure over the summer, particularly after a weak group stage.
“If you take everything that is written personally, it can make someone half-crazy. Gareth said after the meeting with the Netherlands that he just wants to be loved. Take it from me, soccer love doesn’t last forever. It comes and goes quickly,” writes Eriksson.
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