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Sam Marsden (Barcelona correspondent)
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany said it was unusual for Barcelona to potentially look for Lionel Messi to replace Lamine Yamal so soon after the Argentine left the club.
Messi, currently at Inter Miami, left Barca in 2021, while left-footed striker Yamal, who plays on the right, left the academy and made his first team debut in 2023 at the age of 15.
The 17-year-old has since gone on to make over 60 appearances for Barça, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 12 appearances this season, and has drawn comparisons to Messi as he helped Spain win the European Championship last summer. .
“It is unusual for Barca to have Yamal as a club so soon after a player like Messi left,” Kompany told a press conference ahead of the two Champions League clashes on Wednesday.
“For our generation, Messi was one of the key figures of our time. It is very unique to have a player who could potentially replace him so soon after he left.
“I am completely grateful to La Masia (Barça academy) for always believing in these players and giving them a chance. But the problem for us is not to stop (Yamal), but to try to win the game against Barcelona. This means everything. It means (stop) the player is not one.
“The focus is on the team and not on one player. But he is an outstanding player.”
Yamal is one of two 17-year-old players who start regularly for Barça. The other was centre-back Pau Cubarsí, who also received high praise from former Manchester City centre-back Kompany.
“He is definitely one of the future defensive leaders in world football,” the Belgian coach said when asked for his opinion on Cubasi.
“I was fortunate to start my career at a very young age, but to not only represent Barça but to play every game at this level against this level of competition in the top five and in the Champions League is very special. Very special. It’s rare.
“He’s already a good player and if he stays healthy he could have a great career.”
Kompany, who moved to Bayern from Burnley this summer, got off to a good start at Bayern. His team are undefeated and top of the Bundesliga, although they lost their last Champions League game against Aston Villa.
Wednesday’s match at the Olympic Stadium provides the latest test of his managerial credentials against a Barca side managed by former Bayern coach Hansi Flick, who won the treble while in charge of the German club.
“Hansi was not just a coach at Bayern, he was a very successful coach and someone who represented the club in a way that is still talked about today,” Kompany said.
“He means a lot to Bayern and I’m sure this match means a lot to him too, but the duel is on the pitch. Hansi’s thoughts are very clear and I hope ours are too.”
In an interview before Kompany, Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich did not rule out a move to Barca next summer when his contract expires, and instead revealed the influence the Catalan club had on him when he was younger.
“Playing against Barcelona is always special.” The German international player said: “Of course I have seen my name linked to Barça in the past, but it is not a special match simply because they are a huge club.
“It is a club that has had success in the past and left its mark on me with the Spanish national team, which has won three titles in a row. “
When asked to answer directly whether he could join Barça next summer, he added: “In football you can never make the mistake of ruling everything out. To answer you directly, I’m not thinking about it right now, but you can. Never rule anything out in life or football.”
