Declan Rice Slams France Players for Lamine Yamal Comments Ahead of Euro 2024 Final
As England prepares to face Spain in the Euro 2024 final, Declan Rice has called out several France players for their criticism of Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old has been a standout performer for Spain, providing three assists and scoring one goal in the tournament, including a stunning strike in the semi-final win over France.
Yamal, who has already established himself as a first-team regular at Barcelona, has been compared to a young Lionel Messi due to his impressive displays. However, France midfielder Adrien Rabiot and manager Didier Deschamps have criticized Yamal, with Rabiot claiming he needs to "show more" to reach the final and Deschamps describing his goal as "lucky".
Rice, though, is having none of it. In his pre-match press conference, he praised Yamal’s achievements, saying: "As soon as we won the game the other day, I saw a stat that said he was 12 when COVID hit. That’s pretty scary! He shows how good he is. He’s 16, I don’t know why the French players would talk a player down like that."
Rice also highlighted Yamal’s impressive achievements at Barcelona, saying: "What he’s done at Barcelona as a 16-year-old, you have to applaud it. Me, as a football fan as well as a player, you have to respect it. Sometimes you have to say at 16, wow, it shows a lot of guts to play for Barcelona, but also to do what he’s doing at his age, it’s really special."
What’s Next?
The Euro 2024 final is set to be an exciting encounter, with both teams boasting talented squads. Will Yamal continue to impress and help Spain lift the trophy? Tune in to find out!
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