Hype around Yamal and five talents whose careers faded

Lamine Yamal turned 18 last summer, yet by that age he had already collected records usually mentioned with the tag “youngest ever.” Notably, just two days after celebrating his 17th birthday, he also became a European champion with Spain. This was reported by euro-football.rureports.

Today, Yamal is not only a footballer on the pitch — he has already become a brand. His commercial projects are expanding rapidly. But such an early and explosive start does not always guarantee a smooth finish: football history has plenty of stars who lost their way at their peak and wasted their potential.

According to Transfermarkt, Yamal is currently the most valuable footballer in the world, with an estimated price tag of €200 million. There is logic to it — his age, consistent performances and huge potential justify the figure. Among the 30 most valuable players, there are almost no under-20s: besides Yamal, only his teammate Pau Cubarsí appears on the list, valued at €80 million.

However, Yamal is increasingly being discussed for what he does off the pitch as well. Lavish parties, frequently changing hairstyles and talk surrounding his private life — all of this suggests that the 18-year-old has not yet fully learned how to handle big money and fame. There have been many players who got dizzy from the taste of wealth — and as a result, both their level and their careers declined.

One such example is El-Hadji Diouf. At the 2002 World Cup, he was one of the main figures in Senegal’s sensational run and quickly received an offer from Liverpool. But Diouf became more absorbed in his image than in football: flashy purchases like a silver-coated Mercedes and a gold-tinted Cadillac, scandals (it was even said he spat at fans), disputes with referees and the federation — all of it dealt a heavy blow to his career.

Dmitry Sychev is also considered one of the players who made the wrong key choice after 2002. Having only recently played for Spartak Tambov, he drew the attention of all of Russia in a short time. Many expected him to become a major boost to Spartak Moscow’s attack and then move to one of Europe’s top clubs. But after Marseille, Sychev stayed at Lokomotiv for ten years and never fully realized the European career he had dreamed of.

Barcelona academy product Bojan Krkić is an example of how psychological pressure can change a footballer’s fate. He debuted for the Catalans at 17 years and 19 days, breaking Lionel Messi’s record, and was immediately proclaimed a “new phenomenon.” But excessive expectations hit Bojan’s mindset hard: it is said that among the stars in training he was even hesitant to pick up a bottle of water. Over time, panic attacks intensified and his career took a sharp downturn.

In English football, Dele Alli is one of the standout names who failed to live up to huge expectations. He debuted for Tottenham at 19, quickly became a first-team regular, and was expected to become a future leader of the national team. But just as he was nearing the very top, the decline began: bad habits, getting carried away with his private life, a cold attitude to training and dependence on sleeping pills — all of which brought him to the point of thinking about ending his career at 29.

Mario Balotelli is a name that appears on almost any list when the topic is wasted potential. Indiscipline, conflicts with teammates and coaches, family issues, constant scandals and bizarre antics — for example, the story of him causing a fire by setting off fireworks in his bathroom — all of this shows how hard it is to turn great talent into consistent output. The conclusion is simple: without a serious attitude to the profession, even the most gifted player cannot guarantee major achievements.

Among the most talked-about “faded stars” of their time are players like Balotelli, Sychev, Alli, Krkić and Diouf. Each of them is a lesson: early fame and big money — if mismanaged — can destroy even a great career.

Now the question around Yamal is whether he can channel this momentum correctly — both on and off the pitch — and whether he will reach at least one Ballon d’Or in his career. Time will tell.

Ravshan

Editor of «ZAMIN.UZ»