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Rodri calls on Yamal to calm down
As Spain prepare for a heavyweight showdown against France, captain Rodri has highlighted a specific area of improvement for the country’s brightest young talents. The 30-year-old midfielder believes Yamal plays with a level of urgency that borders on anxiety, which has at times hampered his natural explosiveness on the wing.
“I think he needs to calm down a bit, this anxiety that he has to prove himself sometimes,” Rodri said in the mixed zone following Spain’s progress. “He’s a very important player for us because of what he does with and without the ball, and he’s a very intelligent guy. It’s true that he’s 19 years old and you have to calm him down at certain moments of the match.”
Wonderkid’s form under the microscope
Despite being the youngest European player to win 10 major tournament matches, Yamal has faced questions regarding his goals at this World Cup. The striker arrived at the tournament with a minor injury and has struggled to match the dazzling form he regularly displays for Barcelona in La Liga, often finding himself isolated from the opposition’s penalty area.
The teenager, however, maintained his confidence despite the lack of goals. In the face of criticism, Yamal remained defiant: “If we win the World Cup, I don’t think anyone will remember how many goals I scored or how many I didn’t. If we win, we will all be happy. That’s all I want. I know that with my movements I keep a lot of opponents away; I can create space for a teammate. Anything I can do to help, even if I don’t touch the ball in a game, will be positive I think everyone is obsessed with me scoring goals and we won the European Championship with me scoring just one goal.
Maturity beyond his years
Rodri was quick to point out that while Yamal still has tactical lessons to learn, his maturity has increased significantly since Spain’s triumph at Euro 2024. The midfielder noted that the 19-year-old is no longer a surprise but a regular member of the team who is constantly looking to improve his game with feedback from the management group.
“I think he is a player who has already shown his maturity at the Euros, and now that he is two years older, we are no longer as surprised by what he can do at his age. He is a very mature young man who still has room to improve in terms of reading the game, which is completely normal for his age, but we already know his level. I am the one who always tells him to keep going and not to stop playing if he does not commit fault, but he is a young man who listens, who wants to learn and above all who sets a good example with his attitude,” added the City star.
Semi-final clash with France
With a place in the World Cup final at stake, Yamal has dismissed any suggestions of bullying. Recalling Spain’s recent success against the Blues, the winger insisted La Rioja have nothing to fear when they take the field on Tuesday. He pointed to the fact that Spain have won their last two meetings against Didier Deschamps’ side as a cause for supreme confidence.
Rodri, however, expects a much closer contest than Spain’s 5-4 victory in the Nations League last year. “We can’t let this Nations League match, which ended 5-4 after leading 5-1, distract us from the reality of the situation at hand: a World Cup. World Cup matches are a different beast, I don’t think it will be as open, and I don’t expect us to have as many chances. We are going to face a much more solid and difficult to break down French team, so I expect the match to go in a different direction,” the captain concluded.
