Lamine Yamal (17 years old, 16 matches, and 5 goals in La Liga this season) has more than just contractual management from his agent, Jorge Mendes.
As his representative, Mendes also acts as a mentor, offering valuable advice to the Barcelona winger to help him manage life off the pitch.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Mendes warned Yamal of the many bad influences in football: “Today, in the football world, a lot of people try to get close to players. So Lamine must focus on his work and on Barcelona, nothing else, stay with his old friends, and be very careful with those who approach players.”
Some End Up Losing Everything
Mendes shared a sobering observation, stating, “I’ve said it many times—90% of players who gain financial independence and no longer need to work, who have enough money to support themselves and their families for the rest of their lives, end up losing it all.”
He emphasized the importance of finding someone to protect and guide players, steering them away from bad paths. “They shouldn’t focus on negotiations, they should focus on their work, because in a year or two, they’ll realize they’ve lost money in who knows what. Lamine has everything to be number one—if he avoids certain things, stays focused, and follows the best examples, he will win all the collective trophies and many individual awards,” Mendes predicted.
