Nicolas Anelka: “As a veteran you miss players like Lamine Yamal”
· Yahoo Sports
Nicolas Anelka was back in Barcelona this weekend. The former France international showed up at the Ciutat Esportiva Damm to support the Students Nations World Cup, a semi-professional tournament organized by Lenny Evra, son of his former national teammate Patrice Evra.
From the stands, Anelka watched Brazil face Germany in one of the semifinals. The competition brings together teams made up of university students living in Barcelona.
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“I like the stadium. It’s nice,” he said while watching the match and being interviewed by SPORT. “You can see some quality. I think they focus more on university than football, but there are still some players with talent.”
Retirement has not pushed him away from the game entirely. Anelka insists he does not miss playing anymore, but he still enjoys watching young players develop.
“I’m already old,” he joked. “Football is in the past, but I enjoy watching matches, especially the kids. That’s why I came. I like football and I like young talents.”
At some point the conversation drifted toward Barcelona’s current team, and one name came up almost immediately: Lamine Yamal.
For Anelka, the 18-year-old represents something that used to be more common in football.
“Lamine is one of the most skillful players. He scores goals, gives assists. He’s always creating something on the pitch,” he said. “There aren’t many players like him anymore. Before, we had many, but now he’s one of the great talents in Europe and in the world.”
Watching players who improvise and try things on the ball reminds him of another era.
“As a veteran you miss seeing players like Lamine. Unfortunately we don’t have many like that anymore.”
From his perspective, two players sit clearly above the rest right now.
“Lamine and Kylian Mbappé are the two best,” he said. “It’s going to be a great battle. Lamine with Spain and Mbappé with France.”
Mbappé’s start at Real Madrid has been impressive, although he has been bothered by a knee injury recently. Anelka played there himself during the 1999-2000 season and still remembers the UEFA Champions League triumph that year.
“Kylian is doing very well. He scores goals in every match,” he said. “He scored goals in Monaco, in Paris, and now he’s scoring goals in Madrid. The only thing missing is winning a title with Real Madrid.”
International football might provide the next stage for that rivalry. France and Spain are considered two of the favorites to lift the trophy at the FIFA World Cup this year.
“The French national team is always good. The Spanish one too,” he said. “I can see both teams in the final of the World Cup. I don’t know who will be champion, but both teams are very good.”
Barcelona itself almost became part of his story years ago. Before leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a teenager, the Catalan club had shown serious interest in signing him.
“I was very close,” he said. “It was a possibility when I was playing for PSG when I was young. But I signed for Arsenal.”
That decision sent him down a different path, one that eventually took him to Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.