Fermín López to Lamine Yamal: “The best player in the world must stay calm”
Ahead of Barça’s European tie, Fermín López urged Lamine Yamal to keep his composure, while calling him the best player in the world.
Lamine Yamal@footmercato
On the eve of the Champions League clash between FC Barcelona and Olympiacos, Catalan midfielder Fermín López paid a heartfelt tribute to his young teammate Lamine Yamal, while urging him to keep a cool head in the face of opponents’ provocation.
Speaking at a press conference alongside coach Hansi Flick, López stressed the importance of the Spanish prodigy in the blaugrana setup: “I’ve known Lamine since we were kids, and he’s the best player in the world. Everyone talks about him, and everyone will want to target him. He must stay calm.”
The young midfielder also praised Yamal’s maturity, who has become one of Barça’s faces despite his young age: “He’s very mature for his age. We try to help him because he’s essential to our success. If he shines, the whole team shines.”
Just 18 years old, Lamine Yamal recently finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or behind Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain), confirming his status as a global football phenomenon.