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New York Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Ex-Arsenal talent jailed for drug smuggling, who can beat Spain at World Cup?
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello. He once had Arsene Wenger purring. Now this former Arsenal forward is serving time for drug smuggling. On the way: The reason Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is now a former footballer is because of the story you're about to read. As recently as September of last year, he was playing out his days with Greenock Morton, a Scottish team on the outskirts of Glasgow. Then the police came knocking. That same month, Emmanuel-Thomas — best known as a product of Arsenal's academy — was arrested as part of a drugs bust and accused of smuggling cannabis with a street value of £600,000 ($814,000) into the UK. Yesterday, a court sentenced him to four years in prison. Aged 34, his name is tarred and his career is over, a sharp fall from grace complete. Advertisement It's many moons since mentions of Emmanuel-Thomas in dispatches were making ears prick at Arsenal and beyond. Ultimately, it didn't happen for him there and he soon became nomadic, passing through clubs in England, Scotland, Thailand and India. But he's still the guy Arsene Wenger once described as 'an unbelievable finisher' — so lethal and powerful that when he helped destroy Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup in 2009, Liverpool's players refused to believe he was young enough to be taking part in the competition. Why, then, did Emmanuel-Thomas embroil himself in the importation of narcotics, a crime his own barrister described as 'a catastrophic error of judgement', when, before this offence, he had been a law-abiding citizen his entire life? Danny Taylor was in court to find out. 'The most painful experience' By the time of his arrest, Emmanuel-Thomas was no longer earning big from football. His pay at Morton was £600 a week, before bonuses. The club terminated his six-month contract as soon as he was charged. Chelmsford Crown Court heard how he may have been tempted into criminality during his short time playing for Thai side PTT Rayong in 2019. The cannabis in question arrived on a plane from Bangkok. The court was also told that Emmanuel-Thomas enlisted two women — one of them his own partner at the time — to act as couriers, promising them £2,500 in cash and flying them business class via Dubai. The women were themselves charged by police, but the allegations against them were dropped after WhatsApp conversations showed they believed they were bringing gold back to the UK, rather than illegal drugs. Emmanuel-Thomas deleted his messages, threw away his mobile phone and, at first, denied all wrongdoing — before changing his tune and pleading guilty. The maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is 14 years. He received four, although nine months of that sentence have already been served by him on remand. He called his conviction 'the most painful and eye-opening experience of my life'. Advertisement A father of two, he will re-emerge from prison before long, with no semblance of a career to cling to. As the judge told him, 'You will no longer be known for being a professional footballer. You will be known as a criminal, a professional footballer who threw it all away and put others at risk of imprisonment in pursuit of money.' The World Cup is rarely a foregone conclusion but, with the big kick-off in North America a little over 12 months away, is anybody looking beyond Spain? They're the European Championship holders, they've got Lamine Yamal running riot and they're different gravy. OK, their Nations League semi-final against France last night ended 5-4 in their favour, but I was packing up and heading to bed when they led 5-1 with 12 minutes to go. It was worth hanging on to see evidence (if any more was needed) of why Manchester City are so set on seducing France's Rayan Cherki. In the chaos of a frantic finish, he hammered in a beast of a volley (above) and plucked an assist right out of the Yamal playbook. These boys are the future, just like the Spanish, who face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in Sunday's final. Our pals at The Pulse run a regular section entitled 'Hi, my name is…', where they introduce us to a prospect we haven't heard of (or not in great detail). Today, I'm pinching it for a footballer who is 32. Ravel Morrison won't need introducing to many of you, but he's been so far off the radar for so long that some readers might not be familiar. How gifted was he as a teenage midfielder at Manchester United? Sir Alex Ferguson explained it best when he said he'd never seen anybody better. Morrison displayed his talent with an iconic instep volley during an England Under-21 training session, below. Danny Taylor has interviewed Morrison for The Athletic and it's a great get because Morrison doesn't do much media. From Old Trafford to West Ham United, Lazio and now a second-division team in Dubai, he carried the reputation of being a bad boy and a big-time problem as his promise melted — a reputation he earned on occasions. Advertisement Aged 17, and just after his United debut, he was convicted of intimidating a witness in a robbery case. Negative headlines had a habit of coming for him. These days, however, he's on the straight and narrow, and aiming to represent Jamaica at next year's World Cup. Reading Danny's piece, the popular caricature of him becomes faintly ludicrous. Did he quit Lazio because of a lack of salad cream (a sandwich condiment in the UK)? Did he p**s in a former manager's fish pond? Did he complain about his digs at West Ham being haunted? No, no and no. The truth about Morrison was less likely to send a tweet viral, but where's the fun in that? (Selected games, kick-offs ET/UK time) Friday: UEFA World Cup qualifier Group I: Norway vs Italy, 2.45pm/7.45pm — Fox Sports, Fubo/Amazon Prime. Saturday: UEFA World Cup qualifier Group K: Andorra vs England, 2.45pm/7.45pm — Fox Sports, Fubo/ITV. International friendlies (all U.S. only): USMNT vs Turkey, 3.30pm — TNT, Peacock Premium, Fubo; Canada vs Ukraine, 3.30pm — OneSoccer; Mexico vs Switzerland, 4pm — Univision, VIX. MLS: DC United vs Chicago Fire, 7.30pm/12.30am — MLS Season Pass/Apple TV. Sunday: UEFA Nations League final: Portugal vs Spain, 3pm/8pm — Fox, Fubo/ITV. MLS: LAFC vs Sporting Kansas City; Vancouver Whitecaps vs Seattle Sounders — both 9pm/2am and MLS Season Pass/Apple TV. Everyone makes mistakes, even your loyal scribes at TAFC. So we're about to throw stones from a glass house. But here's a howler of epic proportions from Finland. This week, the manager of Finland's women's team, Outi Saarinen, named her squad for a Nations League match against Serbia. She meant to include defender Nanne Ruuskanen but absent-mindedly filled in the teamsheet with the name of Stina Ruuskanen — a 51-year-old whose last international appearance for Finland came almost 30 years ago. Advertisement The error was picked up too late to be changed, leaving Nanne to kick her heels, while Stina joked to a local paper: 'I'm definitely ready if the call comes.' If the squad had anything about them, they'll have worn Stina Ruuskanen face masks to the next training session. (Top photo by)
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What will Carlo Ancelotti's legacy be from his club managerial career?
Carlo Ancelotti has just one game left before he bids farewell to Real Madrid and possibly club management altogether. The 65-year-old Italian has won a record five Champions League titles as a manager and remains the only coach to have won all of Europe's top five domestic leagues. He also leaves as the most decorated manager in Real Madrid's history, with 15 major honours across two spells. Advertisement On the latest episode of The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast, Michael Bailey, Michael Cox, Mark Carey, and Liam Tharme reflected on Ancelotti's remarkable legacy and discussed what has made him so successful across his managerial career. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast feed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Michael Bailey: In Phil Hay's piece on The Athletic last week, he said, 'Unlike several of his peers, Ancelotti didn't create a movement. There is no School of Ancelotti and no wave of disciples behind him. He wasn't the founding father of tiki-taka or the architect of Total Football. He wasn't defined by gegenpressing, and he didn't perfect the parking of the bus like Jose Mourinho.' Does it matter that Ancelotti has not been part of a movement? Or is there a way you could describe Ancelotti's legacy? Michael Cox: No, I don't think it matters. We probably focus on it too much. Ancelotti was the assistant to Arrigo Sacchi, and Sacchi is always mentioned between Total Football and Pep Guardiola as the most influential coach who changed things. But he didn't win much. The only major trophies he won were one Serie A title and two European Cups. Ancelotti has won a lot more than him. So why we always focus on Sacchi so much, I don't know. Ancelotti has continually won things over a very long period with different clubs in different leagues. He has continued to taste success despite not being associated with any particular style of play, to his credit. We should also say that the last Champions League he won with Real Madrid shows how he's really bounced back. With respect to Everton, he was managing a mid-table club and looked to be on the way down, similar to how Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho have got lesser jobs as they've gone on. So for Ancelotti to get the Real Madrid job and win the Champions League again is seriously impressive. He did exactly what he always does with really good young players, such as Jude Bellingham, taking them and saying, 'We're just going to play you in the zones where you can do damage'. Advertisement At times, they didn't have a shape and structure, but it was good enough to win the Champions League. Mark Carey: Many of the most renowned managers burnt brightly then fell away, and didn't have the longevity and the trophy haul that Ancelotti has. Ancelotti's soft skills, the social intelligence to manage up as well as manage down, are key parts of his success. When you also think about some of the environments of the clubs he has managed, they can be difficult to navigate. You think of the boardrooms at Real Madrid, Milan, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain, these are huge clubs with so much pressure on them from above and from the fan base. He makes sure the players feel empowered to perform on the pitch, and deals with these very difficult social situations from the higher powers that be. Creating harmony at a club is not to be underestimated, and it's a key reason certain managers can fail. Liam Tharme: There is probably a bit of a virtuous cycle where he's way more likely to get jobs in top teams because he's done it before, and he doesn't have to go and prove himself again. So you could say, 'Well, you should win the league with PSG with the resources you've got, or with Real Madrid'. But both things can be true at the same time, you can be a really good manager while also having all the materials that you need. Despite the lack of elite head coaches in the professional game who have been influenced by him in some way, he's a really great role model for youth coaches. There is a bit of a worry, especially in England, that things are over-correcting. Everyone's now hyper-focused on the Guardiola style — building up in that same structure, playing through the thirds and controlling the game through territory. We've started to like those patterns and shapes because we recognise them and they've become familiar. They might not always be good for what the game needs, but we still say, 'I see the back three in build-up, I see the winger high and wide and the striker dropping in'. But Ancelotti's focus on it being a players' game is still really important, and it's probably why he's been so successful for all these years, especially on the knockout side of things. You can listen to full episodes of The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
‘Fear and terror' at Sevilla, Madrid close in on Huijsen, watching Ronaldo Jr play
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! Seville is famous for its oranges but they're sucking on lemons there now. And they're very, very angry. On the way: The current of anger flowing through football is not exactly new. Sometimes it just feels like it might be getting worse, as if levels of calm recede by the year. Has the sport always been so short-fused? A degree of anger around Sevilla is justified, though — and my word, they're seeing it. They're a meaty Spanish club who, since 2006, have won the Europa League and its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, seven times and the Copa del Rey twice. On Tuesday, though, their big achievement was to crawl clear of relegation to the second division. Advertisement The 1-0 win over Las Palmas which kept the wolf from the door (for the time being, because Sevilla aren't out of the woods long term) was their first at home for six months; not just in La Liga but on any front. They've chewed through 13 coaches from 2016 onwards, the year Unai Emery — now managing Aston Villa and the mastermind of three of their Europa League triumphs — left for Paris Saint-Germain. So yes, the natives are livid. But at the weekend, the recriminations got out of hand. Sevilla's squad returned to their training ground after a 3-2 away defeat at Celta Vigo to find a mob of around 400 supporters waiting for them, some wearing balaclavas. They were greeted by chants of 'Death to Junior' — a reference to the club's president, Jose Maria del Nido Jr — and when they sought refuge indoors, fans invaded the facility. Sevilla, who condemned a 'vandalistic attack', say their players were never at risk of harm, but local police stepped in to restore order and the squad slept in dormitories at the training ground overnight. Dermot Corrigan and Guillermo Rai have the astonishing full story. One source told them the players were in 'fear and terror'. So how did it come to this — from serial trophy winners to being at the mercy of their own crowd's rage? Money, would you believe, is at the root of the timeline. Those years of European success haven't created a wealthy club. Sevilla lost close to £70million ($93m) in 2023-24, leading La Liga to impose a salary limit — the amount they can pay their squad en masse over a season — of £2.1m. It's a feeble war chest. With those limitations on his back, sporting director Victor Orta, who worked at Sevilla under Monchi in the good times and went back there after his reign as director of football at Leeds United went off the edge of a cliff, has had to punt on young or untested signings. Sevilla aren't equipped to mix it domestically. Combine that with boardroom conflict and it's a recipe for regression and unrest. Advertisement Del Nido Jr has been president since 2023. His father, Jose Maria del Nido Senior, was in office between 2002 and 2013, but stood down after being sent to prison for financial offences. He's now trying to wrestle control of the club away from his son. The discord between them is transparent in this interview with Del Nido Jr. Before Tuesday, Sevilla came close to drowning in the politics. They might still sink, hence why the fans want a deep-clean at the top. It's far from clear if that can be achieved. As stasis persists, the best Sevilla could do this past week was cling on; a European force badly diminished, but still possessing an ounce of fight. For an hour last night, Barcelona were ready to claim La Liga's 2024-25 title without lifting another finger. Madrid — depleted beyond belief — trailed visitors Mallorca at the Bernabeu, until Kylian Mbappe and Jacobo Ramon (in the 95th minute) turned the game around and kept Barca honest. A win for Hansi Flick's side at neighbours Espanyol this evening will get the job done, though. Barcelona are used to the feel of major silverware. Bologna, on the other hand, hadn't had the pleasure since 1974 — but they broke their 51-year barren streak in the Coppa Italia final yesterday, beating Milan 1-0 in Rome. Christian Pulisic cut a subdued figure for Milan, and Manchester City target Tijjani Reijnders didn't live up to TAFC's billing of him. Dan Ndoye's sharp second-half finish (above) proved to be the difference, and the trophy is due reward for several years of impressive progress by Bologna. They still have an outside shot at a Champions League place for the second season running, too. Over in the United States, meanwhile, I can't get that quote from LA Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy out of my head: 'When it rains, it f***ing pours, man.' Doesn't it just? From 2-0 up, the MLS champions lost again, to Philadelphia Union in the 96th minute, with Tai Baribo scoring the winner (below), for yet another miserable rinsing. That's a 13-game winless streak now, and it can't be long before heads start to roll. Inter Miami aren't cruising either — a 3-3 draw at San Jose Earthquakes dropped them to fifth in the Eastern Conference — and a frustrated Lionel Messi almost talked his way to a red card. Still, a glance at the Galaxy and counterpart Greg Vanney will remind coach Javier Mascherano that pressure is relative. On the subject of whether Cristiano Ronaldo's footballer son — Cristiano Ronaldo Junior — is any good, we've all been guessing. So to make things more scientific, The Athletic sent Tim Spiers to a remote field in Croatia to actually watch the second-coming in the flesh. The 14-year-old (Ronaldo Jr, not Tim) was playing for Portugal Under-15s after his first international call-up. I'll say this: he might be listed as Cristiano dos Santos, his middle names, on the team sheet, but he's not trying to suppress his profile. He wears number seven on his back and CR7 Nike Mercurial boots on his feet. He's an inverted left forward, so a replica of his old man, who didn't show up to see him in action. Junior also had local kids clamouring to film him on their phones before his first game against Japan kicked off. If nothing else, it's preparing him for the big time, if he gets there. But will he get there? Here is Tim's verdict, based on the lad's 38 minutes as a substitute. (Selected games, times ET/UK) La Liga: Osasuna vs Atletico Madrid, 1pm/6pm — ESPN, Fubo/Premier Sports; Espanyol vs Barcelona, 3.30pm/8.30pm — ESPN, Fubo/Premier Sports, ITV4. Individual players must have quotas of luck to use each season. Here is St. Louis City's Cedric Teuchert, fully spent up with one touch against Sporting Kansas City last night — a deflection so wicked, I'd rather pretend it was deliberate. As, no doubt, would Cedric.
New York Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Events that led to Forest's Awoniyi being put in induced coma, Man City eye Reijnders
The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. We're bringing you concerning developments from Nottingham Forest, where a freak injury has left one of their players in a coma. Plus: Manchester City's approach for Milan midfielder, Sunderland's last-gasp play-off thrill, and the strangest penalty concession you'll see today. When Nottingham Forest's Taiwo Awoniyi collided with a goalpost on Sunday, he was chasing a lost cause. The chance he tried to finish would not have counted because Anthony Elanga had strayed a mile offside in the build-up. The assistant referee merely followed a (somewhat daft) directive to keep her flag down until the attack was over. The consequences of that fleeting moment in a 2-2 draw with Leicester City have been extensive and dramatic. First, at full time, we witnessed a tense, on-field exchange between a visibly angry Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo. Then, on Monday, Awoniyi was sent for an emergency operation on abdominal injuries caused by the collision. And yesterday came the worrying news that the 27-year-old forward had been placed in an induced coma. Advertisement Twelve hours or so before the latest update, Forest announced that Awoniyi was 'recovering well so far' having undergone surgery. We'll keep you posted with further developments as soon as they land. The club's primary concern will be Awoniyi's swift and full recovery, but there is palpable frustration at the City Ground, not least in the mind of Marinakis, over the fact Awoniyi tried to play on against Leicester. The incident involving him happened very late in the game and Forest — in pursuit of Champions League qualification — were pushing for a winning goal. Awoniyi received around three minutes of treatment pitchside before rejoining the contest in injury-time. He was in obvious discomfort, but while tending to him, Forest chose to use their last substitution, so had no way of replacing him. Nuno explained afterwards that Marinakis' exasperation stemmed from that decision. Forest's boss described the failure to replace Awoniyi, rather than attempt to nurse him through the closing stages, as 'a misunderstanding between the coaching staff and the medical department'. But that hasn't been the end of it. The sight of Marinakis appearing to confront Nuno on the field inevitably made headlines. Forest, despite an excellent season all round, have slipped out of the Premier League's Champions League places after one win in six. It was easy to interpret Marinakis' reaction as an owner losing patience with his coach. Marinakis countered that assumption in a post on Instagram, saying his annoyance concerned 'the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff's misjudgement of Taiwo's ability to continue the game'. Yesterday, and prior to news of Awoniyi's induced coma breaking, Forest doubled down with an official club statement, rejecting reports of a 'confrontation' between Marinakis and Nuno as 'fake news'. Advertisement 'The truth of the matter is that there was no confrontation, with Nuno or with others,' the statement said. 'There was only a shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.' You wonder what the medics responsible made of that. To this point, none of them have commented. For now, we can only cross fingers for Awoniyi, but we haven't heard the last of the matter: a nasty injury and political fall-out caused by a brave and committed lunge for a goal which was never going to stand. A few short seconds of one Premier League match leaves much to reflect on. If you're watching tonight's Coppa Italia final between Milan and Bologna, pay attention to Milan's Dutch midfielder, Tijjani Reijnders (pronounced 'rainders' — think Rudolph and co). Here's how he described himself to The Athletic's James Horncastle: 'I'm a typical box-to-box player, helping the team build up and find the connection to the attack — either serving my team-mates with passes or being in the box myself, and being important with goals.' Manchester City evidently like the product description because Reijnders, 26 (above), is firmly on their transfer radar. The club have expressed an interest in signing him and they're all-in on strengthening their midfield, with designs on Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, too. There's no way they have the financial wiggle room to do those two plus Reijnders, so I'm intrigued to see how the cards fall. The wheels have also started turning at Liverpool, who are thinking about compensating for the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold by taking right-back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen. He's priced at just under £30m ($40m) and that's tidy value for a 24-year-old Netherlands international. The transfer window is shaping up to be key for the Premier League's heavyweights because while Liverpool have run away with the title this time, you sense that they, City and Arsenal think it's up for grabs big time in 2025-26. Transfer wise, they're going to get busy. We have our line-up for the Championship play-off final, that precious shot at Premier League wonga. It's Sheffield United versus Sunderland, to be staged at Wembley on May 24. Sunderland beating Coventry with the last kick of extra time last night was the yin to the yang of Sheffield United flaying Bristol City 6-0 over two legs. I don't know what it is about the EFL play-offs, but they drag people to the edge; long, hard seasons staked on brutal tests of nerve. They're the best of times and the worst of times, which is why clubs love and hate them. Advertisement Dan Ballard dragging Sunderland through, with a header off the crossbar in the 122nd minute of a semi-final's second leg, is the perfect example of the potential value of one touch of the ball, particularly in the Championship. Promotion for Sunderland or Sheffield United would be worth in excess of £200m. That's the size of the bounty above them. No wonder the play-off final has come to be known as the most lucrative game in football. (Selected games, times ET/UK) Coppa Italia final: Milan vs Bologna, 3pm/8pm — CBS, Paramount+, Fubo/Premier Sports. La Liga: Villarreal vs Leganes, 1pm/6pm; Real Madrid vs Mallorca, 3.30pm/8.30pm — both ESPN+, Fubo/Premier Sports. Fun and games in Portugal, where the Primeira Liga title has come down to the final weekend. Sporting CP (Ruben Amorim's old team) and Benfica are tied on 79 points. Sporting have a marginally superior goal difference. Saturday could be tasty. More entertaining again, I thought, was Porto's concession of a penalty against Boavista in the penultimate round of matches — given when one defender, Ze Pedro, booted a clearance against the arm of another defender, Nehuen Perez (above). The only reason Perez had his hand in the air was to tell Ze Pedro to hoof it. I've seen most things in my 45 years, but I can't remember a more random award than this.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Even in defeat, Lamine Yamal proved he has become Barcelona's main man
Barcelona's heartbreaking 4-3 loss against Inter Milan on Tuesday night, which sunk them to a 7-6 aggregate defeat, was a crushing way for their European campaign to end. Amid the chaos in Milan, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal put on another breathtaking performance, just as he did in the first leg, further solidifying his status as the most exciting prospect in world football. Advertisement On Wednesday's episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, Ayo Akinwolere was joined by The Athletic's Barcelona correspondent Pol Ballus and Italian football broadcaster Max Callegari to break down what makes Yamal such a special talent. Watch the episode below. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on YouTube below or on The Athletic FC Podcast feed via Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Ayo: Pol, let's give Lamine Yamal some light. This boy is unbelievable. There's a piece you and a whole heap of other journalists have got out now on The Athletic where you spoke to former managers, agents and coaches from around the global game on what they think this kid can offer. He already feels like one of the leaders in this team but something I got from that piece was that he doesn't just dribble for the sake of dribbling, there is already an end product. Pol: When things were tough against Inter, he was like, 'Pass me the ball, just pass the ball to me because I know what I have to do'. All the Barca players know that this is how they should approach the game. They know that the chosen one is him. That comes from Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi, Dani Olmo and everyone else, and these are all world-class players. But they know that there's no one in that team like Yamal. That's what speaks for itself, and that's what makes him different. The big stage is what suits him, this tie confirmed it. He likes to be in the spotlight with everyone looking at him, and with San Siro fans booing him. When he came onto the pitch just before the game, his name was chanted and all the fans in San Sirio were shouting, 'Boo!' But he just smiled and was like, 'Yes, get in! Bring it on'. At this point, it's impossible to say what he will become because football, as an industry, is so difficult to deal with. It's going to be down to him and how he handles it, but also how Barcelona handle his career. Advertisement He is surrounded by team-mates who understand him and a club willing to make him the star. His impact and progress has even taught the veteran players in the squad, such as Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, and made them understand that the kid is the one. The players in the team know you don't have to cross the ball to Lewandowski, you have to pass the ball to Yamal now — that's the changing of the guard. Max: What was also very good to see at the end of the game was the admiration of the Inter players for Yamal. Marcus Thuram, Federico Dimarco and others went to console him, showing him how they admired his style of play and his incredible personality. Ayo: What was it like watching Yamal through an Italian lens, Max? Italy doesn't produce those kinds of players and Yamal at 17 is quite phenomenal. I'd hate to be Dimarco marking him because at half-time, Dimarco looked like he was out of steam. It must be magical to see, especially on a big stage like that. Max: It is magical. I couldn't imagine seeing a player like him just a few years after the era of Lionel Messi. I thought we'd need to wait much longer to see another player who could give us the feeling Yamal is giving us now. This is the magic of Yamal, of football. As Pol says, we don't know where he will arrive, it's up to him. But we know that he is better than Messi was at the same age and the same stage. You can listen to full episodes of The Athletic FC Podcast free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube.
