Real Madrid players are not supposed to laud anyone from arch-rivals Barcelona, but Franco Mastantuono broke ranks today to express his admiration for Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
The 18-year-old, who joined Madrid from River Plate over the summer, made a promising start to his career at the Santiago Bernabeu before being struck down with a groin injury that has kept him out of the past two games.
Mastantuono appeared on Cadena SER programme El Larguero and expressed his satisfaction with how life was going in Spain, and hopes to return with a bang.
He said: “The people here are amazing. I felt the affection from the first day. That for a player is a plus. I also want to see my best version. Now after this recovery my level will start to go up, I will feel better and I will try to give everything to the fans.”
Messi is the best
As an Argentine, Mastantuono was in a tricky position when asked to assess the age-old debate about who is better: Messi or former Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo, but the teenager was clear with his answer.
“I’m a Madrid fan, I’m at the biggest club in the world, but for me the best player in football and in the world is always Messi and until the day he retires he will be,” he said.
“I get to be with him in the national team and the truth is that it is incredible. An unbelievable player, who leaves you with your mouth open every time he grabs the ball.
“I’ve been with a lot of incredible quality players, but being with him is learning every day. It’s seeing and trying to copy something he does. You learn a lot with him. I thank him for how he has always behaved with me, he has helped me a lot.”
Yamal is better than me – Mastantuono
Mastantuono was also happy to heap praise on Barca’s current star Yamal, with whom comparisons are inevitably made due to both men being 18 years of age.
“I don’t like comparisons, but it’s always nice to have rivals with the quality of Lamine, from Barcelona, from Spain,” he said. “It gives motivation for me to be even better. I hope it can be like this for a long time, until my career is over.”
Asked who is the better player right now, the Madrid midfielder admitted: “Today, Lamine. He is showing an incredible level, but I have just arrived in Madrid, I am in a process of adaptation that hopefully will be fast and I can grab that rhythm of Europe and Madrid. Hopefully it will be a very long story to tell and with many matches like the last ones we experienced, which were incredible.”
Madrid return to action this weekend after the international break. Xabi Alonso’s side, who have a three-point lead at the top of La Liga, visit Elche on Sunday.
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