Teen sensations Yamal and Mastantuono need space to develop, says Trezeguet
"Yamal is a pure, unique talent, a player who has proven to be different from the rest. He grew up in Barcelona's academy, where the 'Lionel Messi' identity is very present, so these kids copy that format," Trezeguet, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, told reporters.
Mastantuono, River Plate's attacking midfielder who is making waves in Argentina, is "demonstrating all his qualities at a very young age," Trezeguet added.
Yamal is the youngest player to debut and score for Spain.
With Barcelona, he has already won the Spanish league, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. He also won the European Championship with Spain.
Trezeguet, a former River Plate player, where Mastantuono made his debut in January last year, emphasised that both players "are great to watch" because of the way they play and the way they "express their talent".
"They'll have time to perfect everything else. They're young. But I think it's important for football in general to have this type of player who serves as an example for the younger players."
Juan Pablo Sorin, who played for both River Plate and Barcelona, said he would like to see both players continue their development.
"I don't like comparisons, because I think it's like limiting the player who's emerging. It's the same thing that happened to Lamine and Leo (Messi)," the former Argentina defender told Reuters.
"It's true that the position is similar, but I think the characteristics are different, and I think each player has their own potential, qualities, and areas for improvement," he added.
Both Trezeguet and Sorin said River Plate fans should make the most of Mastantuono's time there as he would likely continue his career in Europe soon.
The Argentine, who has been linked with Real Madrid, shone in River Plate's victory over Boca Juniors last month, scoring a free kick.
"We have to let them complete all the stages. They have to play, have fun, and continue to show off their talent and their audacity. They have a lot of personality," Sorin said.
"What really catches my attention about both of them is how effective they are with the number of balls they touch. They make most of them effective, and that's impressive for their age," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
15 hours ago
- CNA
How Singapore is 'home' for two swimmers representing Spain and Ireland at the World Aquatics Championships
SINGAPORE: For Spain's Carmen Weiler Sastre and Ireland's Jack Cassin, competing at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships has added significance. It is in host country Singapore where the two swimmers spent much of their adolescent years; where they cultivated friendships; and where they built the foundation of their sporting careers. To the pair, Singapore is special. "I don't even think I can ... express or put into words how I feel after this," Cassin told CNA, referring to competing in Singapore. He had just finished second in the heats of the men's 100m butterfly on Friday (Aug 1). "It has so much more emotion and depth attached to it, than it would be for any other swimmer here, because this is the place that I used to call home. It definitely feels like being back home." For Weiler Sastre, whose family moved to Singapore when she was just one, it was "surreal" to be back. "It's really special for me to come back and compete in front of my friends and family," she told CNA. "I really enjoyed growing up in Singapore ... I would say this is my home." Cassin and Weiler Sastre have known each other over the years, having trained and studied together at the Canadian International School and then the Nexus International School. 'When he told me that he was going to Singapore for worlds, I was really excited," said Weiler Sastre, 20, who is Spain's national record holder in the 100m backstroke. "We also went to the same place for a training camp in Malaysia in Kuching, so that was really cool to share that experience with him." "I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING" Both swimmers, who competed at the Singapore National Age Group Championships in the past, said the country has played a role in their growth as athletes. Weiler Sastre, who now studies at Virginia Tech university, credited her former Nexus coach Ivan Bunakov with helping to shape the "trajectory" of her swimming. "He taught me a lot about discipline ... and I really do think that helped me work hard in the US." In the United States, Weiler Sastre now trains under Sergio Lopez, the former coach of Singapore's only Olympic champion Joseph Schooling. "He's almost like a father figure to me. We're really close and he's helped me with a lot in the three years that I've been with him," said Weiler Sastre. "I think that he is one of the best coaches that there is." Cassin, 21, moved to Singapore at the age of nine after his mother found a job here. He then lived in Singapore for almost a decade. "It was definitely a big change (to come to Singapore) ... I never expected that I would be here for ten years," he said. "I definitely wouldn't be at the level of swimming I'm at now if I had never took this opportunity," said Cassin, who is the Irish national record holder in the men's 400m individual medley. "It's been such a good experience, I wouldn't trade it for anything." Cassin said there was a "huge" difference in access to facilities in Singapore, compared with Ireland. "Singapore is such a small country but you've so many pools ... Whereas other countries don't have that. In Ireland, we have two 50m pools and (the country) is 100 times the size of Singapore," he added. "In international schools, you have the pool and it's right next to the school, so it's just the convenience of it as well. It makes such a difference." Cassin will take to the pool again for the 4x100m medley relay on Sunday, the final day of competition.
CNA
18 hours ago
- CNA
Milner to honour former teammate Jota with jersey number switch
Brighton & Hove Albion's James Milner will don the number 20 shirt this season as a tribute to former Liverpool teammate Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash in Spain last month. Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in early July when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames in northwestern Spain. The Portuguese forward had worn the number 20 during his time at Liverpool, where he and Milner played together for three seasons before the veteran midfielder's move to Brighton in 2023. "Once I heard Carlos (Baleba) was looking to change his number and 20 was available, I wanted to do it as a mark of respect and obviously pay tribute to Diogo Jota," Milner said. "(He was) an amazing player I was fortunate to play with and a great friend as well. So it'd be a great honour to wear his number in the Premier League." Liverpool are permanently retiring the number 20 after consultation with the player's wife Rute and family. The squad number will not be used at any level, including the women's team and academy. The 39-year-old Milner recently agreed a one-year contract extension with Brighton and is chasing Premier League history of his own.
Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Independent Singapore
'It was best to take a break' — Tadej Pogacar to skip Vuelta a España after Tour de France victory
Photo: After an impressive performance at the Tour de France, top cyclist Tadej Pogacar announced that he will not compete in the Vuelta a Espana. This race is the only Grand Tour that Pogacar has not won yet, but the athlete decided to skip it this year, after a tough three weeks of racing in France. Pogacar said: 'After such a demanding Tour, we decided it was best to take a break. The Vuelta is of course a race I would dearly love to return to. I have fantastic memories there from 2019, but now the body is telling me to rest.' Moreover, Pogacar admitted that he would like to focus on the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec and the Grand Prix Cyclist de Montreal this September. He also aims to defend his title at the World Road Championships in Rwanda. 'I'm excited to go back to Canada; the races are tough but beautiful, and they fit my style well… I'll be aiming to be back racing well again for that part of the season and for the World Championships especially,' Pogacar declared. With his absence, Pogacar's awaited Vuelta meeting with Jonas Vingegaard from Visma-Lease a Bike won't happen this year. Vingegaard finished in second place at the Tour and also fought intensely for the yellow jersey. Furthermore, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG will now support Joao Almeida and Juan Ayuso as their main leaders for this last big race of the season. On social media, Pogacar said after the Tour de France: '🇫🇷💛 What. A. Journey. Three weeks, one dream. Every kind of pain. Every kind of joy. That's the Tour. Huge respect to the peloton — no easy wins out here. Proud to wear yellow again, and even prouder of the people who made it possible. You know who you are 🙏 @ you were missed in Paris yesterday, but Vuelta is calling 🔥. Merci, hvala, thank you ❤️' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar) Netizens expressed their support in the comments by saying: 'Thanks for an amazing 21 days! Enjoy your vacation, champ!! 💛👑', 'You make cycling worth watching .. The Best Ever .. I hope stay motivated and keep on entertaining us for another decade atleast .. 😎❤️😎', and 'Thank you for all the emotions you gave us (as always)! Wish you to get some well deserved rest and to enjoy your time surrounded by your loved ones, doing the things you love! 🥹🫶🏻' This year's Vuelta will run from August 23 to September 14. It will have 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,151 kilometres. There will be four flat stages, six medium mountain stages, five mountain stages, one individual time trial, and three hilly stages with high-altitude finales. All racers will also have two rest days for recovery during the three weeks of competition. Know more about the upcoming race here. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
