'Let him dance!' - Lamine Yamal critics shut down by Barcelona legend

Yamal has recently become a major talking point after a series of outspoken comments and angry reactions to being substituted sparked debate among fans and pundits. The 18-year-old winger remains one of Barcelona’s brightest talents, but his personality and confidence have drawn mixed reactions. With Barcelona preparing for a crucial quarter-final second leg in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid, former Blaugrana midfielder Rakitic stepped in to defend the youngster. The Croatian believes attention should remain on Yamal’s exceptional ability rather than the noise surrounding him.

Rakitic stressed that players must embrace the moment during major European nights, despite the pressure that comes with representing Barcelona.

"We know which matches are special, and you prepare every little detail with a bit more care," the Barca legend said, as quoted by Barca Universal. "Never forget to enjoy yourself and be happy, because there’s a lot of pressure, but there are millions of people who would love to be in your shoes. With Lamine, what we need to do is let him enjoy himself, dance, do his thing, but I’d also like to see him take responsibility.

"Normally, you don’t have to tell young players so much, but Lamine has reached a point where he demands a lot from himself and wants more, even though he’s very young. And these are the matches where he can grow a great deal, and Barca needs him more than ever. Ever since he made his debut, he’s had that ‘flow’; I think that’s the word for it. I’m not that modern, I’m more old-school, but that’s football these days. These things are part of the game, but what matters is what happens on the pitch afterwards, and he’s delivering there – we can’t ask for much more."

While praising Yamal’s natural flair, Rakitic acknowledged that managing such a precocious talent requires strong leadership inside the dressing room. 

"I think ‘difficult’ doesn’t quite cover it, but I do think he’d benefit from a captain like [Carlos] Puyol, Rakitic or Xavi," he explained. "It’s not easy, though, because afterwards, when things go wrong, we blame it on his youth – and that applies to both the good and the bad."

Barcelona now turn their full attention to the decisive Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid as they attempt to secure a place in the semi-finals. They lost the first leg 2-0 and need to win by a three-goal margin to progress to the last four, with a clash against either Arsenal or Sporting CP up for grabs.