Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has kicked against Lamine Yamal being compared to Lionel Messi.
He said the young Spain international should be allowed to play at the top level of football for 15 years before he could come close to the legendary Argentine superstar.
Speaking to the media (via BarcaUniversal), the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss, urged fans and pundit to let the youngster be.
He believes such comparisons with Messi could pressure the Spain international.
“When he[Yamal] plays for fifteen years, we can say whether he’s better than Messi or not.
“The fact that he is compared to Messi is, in itself, a huge deal. It’s like comparing a painter to Van Gogh.”
Guardiola coached Messi for 219 games at Barcelona. Under Guardiola, the former PSG star netted 211 goals.