Litmanen lauds sensational Lamine Yamal’s impact at 17

Jari Litmanen has heaped praise on Lamine Yamal for the remarkable impact the teenager is having at Barcelona. 

The former midfielder hopes the current squad will continue improving as the season draws to a close.

Finnish legend Jari Litmanen, who previously played for both Ajax and Barcelona, described Lamine Yamal as “simply incredible” and expressed his delight at the promising state of the Catalan club, where he played between 1999 and 2001.

“Lamine Yamal is simply incredible. To play like this at just 17 years of age is astonishing. And he keeps getting better,” Litmanen told EFE.

The former midfielder is part of the Barcelona veterans’ team that will face the Georgian National Team Legends on Friday at the 55,000-seat Dinamo Arena.

For Litmanen – who scored 227 goals at club level and netted 32 times for Finland – Hansi Flick’s Barcelona is “a blend of exceptional youth coming through from La Masia and experienced professionals”.

“That’s why I don’t think Barcelona will face any difficulties next season. I’m convinced they’ll be even better than they are now,” he underlined.

Argentine forward Javier Saviola also praised the work being done at La Masia, which, he said, “continues to produce so many talented young players.”

“There’s clearly an enormous amount of work behind the scenes – not just on the technical side, but also in the emotional and psychological development of the youngsters,” Saviola told EFE.

The former striker, who was capped by Argentina and later became a Spanish citizen, scored 231 goals at club level and 11 for the Albiceleste. He stressed the importance of the developmental model at Barcelona, calling it “vital work”.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the mayor of Tbilisi and former AC Milan and Georgia international defender, Kakha Kaladze, said: “Barcelona have a large following here in Tbilisi, and fans will have the chance to see some of their favourite players.”

He also confirmed that Brazilian star Ronaldinho will be joining the Barcelona veterans’ team on Thursday.