Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has urged teenage star Estevao Willian to “not think about being better than this player or another player,” but to focus on enjoying himself and improving day by day, as he prepares to face Lamine Yamal’s Barcelona in the Champions League.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has advised his star teenager Estevao Willian to ignore comparisons to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal ahead of the two clubs’ Champions League clash on Tuesday, according to a report from France24.
The two 18-year-olds are widely regarded as two of the best young talents in world football, prompting inevitable comparisons as their teams prepare to meet in West London.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Maresca praised Estevao’s high-level performances, noting that the forward is “already playing a high level, starting already with Brazil.”
However, the Italian insisted that Estevao must focus solely on his own development rather than external competition.
Maresca stressed the importance of the player’s personal well-being and growth:
“The most important thing for Estevao is that he has to enjoy fully, he has to be happy, and not think about being better than this player or another player, but only think about himself and try to be a better than himself day by day, try to work hard, improve and for sure he is going to be a top player for this club.”
The Chelsea manager acknowledged the excitement surrounding such young talent, adding:
“Now, for me, it’s more or less the same thing I said about Pedri, it is nice for people who love football to watch players like Estevao, Lamine Yamal, Pedri – this is the beauty of the football. We are happy Estevao is with us and for sure he is going to do well.”
Estevao, who can “do many things better” due to his youth, has made 16 appearances across all competitions this season, registering four goals and one assist.