"Lamine Yamal looks like a rat, like Messi"

Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre lamented Friday's 1-0 defeat to Barcelona in LaLiga EA Sports. "We lacked a little bit more quality up front, good decision making in the opponent's area," said the Mexican coach in the press room.

However, the Mexican coach assured that he is "not worried at all" about his team's lack of goals, and that they must "keep working and wait for the goals to come".

"Today I'm much more relaxed in both areas (than a few months ago). We've been defending well for a while now, very solid. In the opposition's half we've been generating. We're still on the right track. I don't like losing, but here it's almost normal for us to lose," he added.

Aguirre, when asked about Lamine Yamal, recalled the first time he saw Leo Messi play, 21 years ago: "He was with the Barca youth team. I saw him for five minutes and he looked like a rat, he kept scoring goals. He looks like a rat too, the scoundrel".

"He's young, I know that they work very well here with young people, and if this continues he's going to be a player who will bring a lot of joy to Can Barca. He's a player who defines games. Today he got the three points and it's not the first time," he commented.

The Mallorca coach explained that he leaves "proud of the work", but "pissed off by the defeat", although he stressed that the team has been "on the right track for a few games" and praised "the commitment" of the team. "I have 24 lions who fight and don't give up. Except for one game in LaLiga, we have competed," he said.

Asked about the penalty on Raphinha in the first half, Aguirre said that it was not a penalty, although "the VAR was very keen to give a penalty", and he also said that his compatriot Rafa Marquez, coach of the Barca reserve team, "is preparing well" to take over the Barca bench if he gets the chance.

March 8, 2024