Lamine Yamal responds when asked about meaning behind ‘speak now, speak now’ jibe after beating France in Euro 2024 semi-final
Spain starlet Lamine Yamal has explained his 'speak now, speak now' comment to the cameras after his team beat France 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday (May 9) in Munich. Yamal scored a magnificent equaliser in the 21st minute to spark La Roja's comeback win.
After Randal Kolo Muani had given France an eighth-minute lead, Yamal curled in a brilliant equaliser, becoming the youngest player to score in the European Championship. Four minutes later, Dani Olmo's deflected effort gave La Roja the lead, which was enough for them to see out the win.
Before the Euro 2024 semi-final, France midfielder Adrien Rabiot had said that Yamal needed to do more to put his team into the final:
“It is always complicated to manage a semi-final in a tournament like that, but it will be up to us to put the pressure on him above all, not to let him feel comfortable and to show him that to play in a Euro final, he will have to do much more than what he has done so far.”
Yamal responded emphatically without name-calling Rabiot, later explaining his 'speak now, speak now' comment to BBC (as translated by Spanish interpreter)
"Well, the person that I am talking about, this person will know who the person is, and I'm just really happy about reaching the final and really happy about my team."
Having become the youngest assist-provider in European Championship history in the 3-0 Euro 2024 group-stage win over Croatia, Lamine Yamal is now also the competition's youngest scorer. He's next look to become the youngest player to win the Euros, a day after he turns 17.
"That was a feeling of pure elation" - Lamine Yamal talks about his wonder goal against France in Euro 2024 SF
Spain midfield sensation Lamine Yamal is understandably ecstatic with his brilliant strike in the Euro 2024 semi-final win over France. The teenager, though, added that the main job is still pending: to win the title.
Having already provided three assists coming into the France game, Yamal opened his account at the Euros with a sumptuous strike. That made him the youngest player ever to score at a major tournament, bettering the previous mark of Pele (17 years) at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.
"I'm thrilled that we are in the final, but we still haven't done the most important thing, which is win this," said Yamal to UEFA.com. "There were difficult moments for us out there. None of us expected to concede that early."
Talking about where he wanted the ball to go after hitting it, Lamine Yamal added:
"I was aiming for exactly the top corner where my shot went in and that was a feeling of pure elation. I try not to think too much about what's going on. I just want to enjoy myself and help the team. I came here to win all the matches so that I could celebrate my (17th) birthday (on Saturday) here in Germany with all of my team-mates!"
La Roja play England or the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin on Sunday (July 14) as they look to become the first team to win the Euros four times, breaking a tie with Germany.