LAMINE YAMAL arrived at Euro 2024 with his homework and left with a winner’s medal.
But amid the beauty of flair shown by the schoolboy there was an equally-extreme duty of care displayed by his Spain manager.
Luis de la Fuente has now revealed the extra steps he was forced to take to “protect” a player who only turned 17 the day before the final.
That included choosing a “responsible adult” to look after him in hotels – and not allowing him to join team meals.
Yamal went on to notch an assist as Spain condemned England to two successive defeats at the last hurdle of the Euros with a late 2-1 win.
Many believe De la Fuente’s men taught the Three Lions a lesson during Gareth Southgate‘s last match in charge before stepping down.
But at times the former Sevilla defender, 63, had to be almost as focused on Yamal’s studies as he was with tactics.
De la Fuente told The Guardian:“It is important we do our work as educators and developers.
“There’s no escaping the fact that he was 16, a kid. There are questions of privacy, protection.
“When the players went out to eat, he couldn’t because he was under-age.
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“Someone with responsibility would stay at the hotel, looking after him.”
De la Fuente explained his thinking by adding: “There are parental authorisations but, more so, a responsibility to society.”
Yamal has taken his exciting form in Germany over the summer into LaLiga with Barcelona.
In fact, he went into the international break with two assists in last Saturday’s 7-0 win over Real Valladolid.
But Yamal was handed a warning earlier in the season for turning up late to a pre-training talk.
So he’s gone from the conscientious caring of De la Fuente to being part of the strict regime of new Barca chief Hansi Flick.
Perhaps for a teenager happy to share snaps of his intoxicating life on social media, it’s all part of growing up fast.
