Expert: Yamal is very incapable of dealing with off-field issues, and young people may stay away from success if they are distracted

Sports performance expert Hesco Espar was interviewed. He talked about Barcelona's performance decline this season and the impact on the 18-year-old Yamal after his rise to fame.

You mentioned Vinicius's attitude when analyzing the national derby. What do you think of the situation in Yamal now?

The Vinicius situation reminds me a little of the relationship between Neymar and Messi. Vinicius thinks he is better than he is and Real Madrid already have another star in their ranks.

Yamal has been criticized. How do you evaluate the way he handles his reputation?

I'm the first to defend him, but I think he "did a terrible job" in dealing with his reputation, and he didn't do a good job.

What advice do you have for him, especially since he is recovering from a pubic bone injury?

I suggested that he should focus on recovery. The number one factor that leads to injuries to players is lack of rest. Some public appearances or possible branding events in his free time do not help this.

Do you think he can lead Barcelona with his current attitude?

You can't lead a team like Barcelona with the attitude he has shown, at least according to the concept of performance as I understand it. At the end of the day, this is a collective, and you can't put your personal brand over the collective brand...

Are you saying this will affect his potential?

I'm not saying he doesn't have extraordinary performances, but it affects the "individual maximum potential" he could have achieved if he focused on "collective performance."

You mean he needs to focus more internally than externally?

It would be bad if he thought more of "himself outward" than "himself inward." In the locker room, he is with his teammates. He can't always think about the people outside, no matter how many fans are paying attention to him.

But maybe times have changed, and today’s young people are used to paying attention to social media?

Perhaps times have changed, and today’s young people can live their lives with one eye on social networks. However, in my experience, the profile of professionals who achieve the most success is different. I'm old school, I've seen players who have won the European Cup.

The gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid seems to have narrowed this season. What do you think is the reason?

One of the key factors is precisely the outstanding performance of Flick's team in recent months, which has allowed young players to reach another level.

What is the difference between Barcelona's young players and Real Madrid's old players?

Real Madrid has more old players, and these people have several other things on their schedules besides football, such as family, children, and houses... The "lucky thing" about Barcelona's extraordinary performance last year is that the players are very young, and they only have one thing on their minds every day, and that is training and competition.

Why is this an issue this season?

That's the main difference, because this season "they have more things on their schedule" and distractions, Yamal being the most obvious example. “That sucks, especially at this age” because it could take them away from the focus that led to their success.

Are there any impacts from off-site activities?

Thinking about training all day long is different from "training after doing two or three advertising campaigns." This may be an issue this year.

So what is Barcelona’s biggest challenge this season?

Therefore, I believe that "Barcelona's main opponent this year is Barcelona itself." Good management of such a first team is key to continuing to create the success that fans want and the club needs.