Cristiano Ronaldo gave his thoughts on Lamine Yamal following Portugal’s penalty shootout victory against Spain in the UEFA Nations League final on Sunday (June 8).
Ronaldo, 40, was in tears after the penalty shootout, which saw him secure his third international trophy with Portugal following the 2016 Euros triumph and 2019 Nations League victory.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had earlier scored his side’s equaliser before being withdrawn due to injury on 88 minutes.
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Ahead of the game, the narrative was about Ronaldo and Yamal, but it was the elder of the pair who proved his worth, while the teenager struggled to make a positive impact, mainly due to the excellent Nuno Mendes’ performance.
Yamal was substituted at half-time of extra time and was even spotted showing his frustration in a video published by Spanish outlet MARCA.
After the match, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente opened up about why he took the 17-year-old off.
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“We wanted to give the game a bit more energy,” said De la Fuente.
“The introduction of Yeremy Pino and Alex Baena gave us that energy, that control of the game that we had lost, as well as our finishing and shooting.”
He added: “He is tired because he has been competing since Thursday, [and] there has been little rest. He has had a very difficult year.
“He is 17 years old and we have to behave accordingly.
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“Today, we understood that it was time to replace him to give another player the opportunity to come in, so that he brings a little more energy.”
Following the match, questions about Yamal were put to Ronaldo by journalists.
"He’s going to win a lot of titles, both collective and individual," the 40-year-old Portuguese skipper told Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
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"He’s only 17 years old… I repeat: he’s a kid with a lot of room for improvement.
"He’s a phenomenon, but we have to leave him alone, that’s what I ask.
"He has a very long career ahead of him and will surely win the Nations League many times."
On the Spain coach's decision to substitute Yamal, Ronaldo added: "He knows better than I do what the team needs… I’m not a coach.
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"He’s already won several titles with Spain. What more do you want me to say?
"If the coach made the decision, it was because he thought it was the best thing to improve his team."
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal, Portugal, Spain, UEFA Nations League, Football
Luke Davies