Lewandowski explains ‘biggest challenge’ for Yamal

Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski has admitted that seeing Lamine Yamal play for the first time was an experience unlike any other he has had in the game. The 17-year-old European champions has already achieved more than most dream of in the game, and continues to astonish on a weekly basis.

Lewandowski, who at age 36 is the runaway leader in the Pichichi race in Spain, did note that longevity will be the hardest challenge for the Spain star.

“Lamine Yamal, it was the first time in my career that I looked at a someone and went wow, he has something special,” he told Rio Ferdinand Presents.

“With Musiala, it was different, you could see that he had something. I think for the young players now, it is different too, the hardest thing for Lamine Yamal will be to maintain his level at the top for 10-15 years, to be at the same level until he is 28-29. I think these days, with the demands of the game, it is very hard for a player to play at the top more than 10 years.”

The teenage superstar has come into the game at perhaps the time where the physical demands of the game are higher than ever. Mentally, the demands have also increased in the modern game, but inside the dressing room, Lewandowski has explained that things have also changed plenty in recent years.

“I try to give him some little bits of advice, but it is different now too. When I was young, it was about getting stronger, and the older players would shout at you and challenge you 15 years ago. And you went out on the pitch, you would go out so motivated, and you couldn’t control anything because you were too motivated.”

“Now I think the young players do not like it so much if someone is shouting at them. It has changed. But not just in football, in life, in work, young people don’t like it that much. I don’t want to say that you cannot speak loudly to them, but you cannot be shouting at them all the time. So you have to change, you have to find the balance now.”

One of the hardest qualities to quantify and appreciate from outside of the dressing room is leadership and personality, something that is seen time and again makes the difference during adversity. Lewandowski himself mentions earlier in the interview that the human side of the game is one of the biggest changes in Pep Guardiola too.