Lamine Yamal carries weight of expectation at Barcelona

Teenager was one of the stars of Spain's Euro 2024 title win but Barca face a huge task to dethrone La Liga champions Real Madrid

Barcelona's Spanish forward Lamine Yamal arrives during a presentation prior to the 59th Joan Gamper Trophy football match against Monaco at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on August 12, 2024. AFP

Lamine Yamal received a huge ovation from Barcelona fans. AFP

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in possession against Monaco during the Joan Gamper Trophy match. Barcelona lost the game 3-0. AFP

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal fights for the ball with Monaco's Denis Zakaria. AFP

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in action against Monaco. Reuters

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal before the match. Reuters

He was the teenage sensation who lit up Euro 2024, now Lamine Yamal carries the weight of expectation on his shoulders as Barcelona look to dethrone Real Madrid as champions of Spain.

Yamal only turned 17 a day before the European Championship final on July 14 but ended it as one of the stars of the tournament as Spain claimed a historic fourth continental crown with a 2-1 win over England in Berlin.

Spain set a new record by winning all seven of their games at the Euros, with Yamal providing some memorable moments including one of the goals of the tournament in the 2-1 win over France in the semi-finals.

He played an important part in the final, too, supplying the assist for Nico Williams to fire in Spain's opening goal.

Attention now turns to club duty with Barcelona under new coach Hansi Flick.

The German replaced club legend Xavi at the helm and welcomed new arrival Dani Olmo last week, but last season's La Liga winners Real Madrid signed superstar French striker Kylian Mbappe earlier this summer.

The forward joins Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and other star names to ensure Barcelona begin the season as firm underdogs to Los Blancos.

The Catalan giants won nothing last season and surrendered their Spanish crown in a deeply disappointing campaign, but Yamal's emergence shows there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Barcelona will rely on their young stars to try and compete with the might of Carlo Ancelotti's Champions League winners.

Madrid picked up their first silverware of the season on Wednesday, with Mbappe scoring on debut in a 2-0 Uefa Super Cup final win over Atalanta.

Barca will have been buoyed by their win over Madrid during a pre-season tour of the United States, but were brought crashing down to earth on Monday by Monaco, who enjoyed a 3-0 win in the traditional Joan Gamper Trophy curtain-raiser at Barcelona's Olympic Stadium in their final friendly.

"We didn't play with our normal speed or normal combinations, we lost a lot of balls," said Flick afterward. "But in the end, it is pre-season. I know the team can play much better than today."

Barcelona begin their Liga campaign with a trip to Valencia with Flick's squad decimated by injuries. Midfielders Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong are all sidelined, as well as centre-back Ronald Araujo, which means he starts the season with depleted ranks.

On Wednesday there were unconfirmed reports that Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, was stabbed in a car park in the north-eastern Spanish town of Mataro. La Vanguardia newspaper, citing officials familiar with the matter, described his diagnosis was “serious”.

A separate report, by sports website Relevo, also citing official sources, said Nasraoui had been discharged from hospital and was back at his home.

Despite Yamal's emergence on the world stage, and amid unconfirmed reports his father, Mounir Nasraoui, was stabbed in a car park in the north-eastern Spanish town of Matar on Wednesday, expectations of a title assault are much lower than in previous seasons.

Yamal, who made his Barca debut at 15, is a fan favourite among the Catalan faithful, with his performances inevitably leading to comparisons to club legend Lionel Messi.

With Sergi Roberto departing after 14 years in the first-team squad, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen takes the armband as Barcelona captain.

"I hope the fans are with us all year because many good things are ahead of us," the German said.

Barcelona are planning to return to their renovated Camp Nou stadium midway through the season if building works stay on track, which will be a welcome boost for demoralised fans.