Spain's head coach praises Yamar as a football genius akin to an artist.

On the eve of Spain's second World Cup group stage match against Saudi Arabia, head coach Luis de la Fuente publicly appealed to the public not to compare 18-year-old rising star Lamin Yamar with Messi or Maradona.

However, De la Fuente compared the young winger to Salvador Dalí and Michelangelo, calling him an artistic genius who treats extraordinary talent as commonplace.

During this World Cup, Yamar's image is ubiquitous in the United States, making him a global focus. Because he suffered an injury in April, Spain's pre-tournament preparations have almost entirely revolved around his potential return.

In response to comparisons between Yamar and football legends, De la Fuente stated at a press conference: "Those are all great names. The biggest mistake we can make is comparing him to anyone. He is still in a developmental stage."

“He possesses extraordinary football maturity and approaches everything with remarkable naturalness. We must let him go his own way, but those exceptional players are already prepared for it. They are geniuses, like Dalí who can create masterpieces, or Michelangelo.”

In the first match, which ended in a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, Yamal came on as a substitute for 20 minutes. De la Fuente made it clear that Yamal is ready to start against Saudi Arabia, but he may not play the full match, with expected playing time around 60 minutes.

Regarding Yamar's current recovery progress, De la Fuente expressed his satisfaction: "This means that he is currently in a state where we need to stop him and hold him back; he is enjoying playing football so much. Watching him train is a pleasure for us."

Image source: Internet