Barca Sensation Yamal to Play in Preseason Match in Seoul: Coach

Seoul: FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick announced Wednesday that teenage sensation Lamine Yamal will take the pitch in Seoul this week for the first of two preseason matches in South Korea. Barca, the 28-time La Liga champions, are visiting South Korea for the first time since 2010. They will play FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. Thursday before heading to Daegu to face Daegu FC at Daegu Stadium at 8 p.m. Monday. Before arriving in South Korea, they secured a 3-1 victory against the Japanese club Vissel Kobe on Sunday.According to Yonhap News Agency, Flick has brought most of his top players, including 18-year-old Yamal, who is the club's new No. 10, along with Polish veteran Robert Lewandowski, Brazilian star Raphinha, and Uruguayan defender Ronald Araujo. During his prematch press conference Wednesday, Flick expressed that Yamal will have the opportunity to showcase his talent in front of a sellout crowd in Seoul."He's an exceptional talent. He is unbelievable and he can also decide matc hes. I'm very happy to have him in my team," Flick said of Yamal, who netted 18 goals in 55 matches in all competitions last season. "Of course, he will play tomorrow. And we all want to give our best. We all want to play on our highest level here in South Korea, in Seoul. This is our goal."Flick mentioned that FC Barcelona, who are coming off a domestic treble after winning the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, are preparing for "a tough season" and aim to use these preseason matches to assess their performance and identify areas for improvement."This is a very important situation we have," the German tactician stated. "This is a very important test against FC Seoul and the third match (against Daegu FC) also. We want to give our best."Flick also emphasized that he and his players are ready to face the challenges that lie ahead."Big clubs like Barca want to win titles," he said. "It's the same goal for us. We will go into the season and try to win as many games as we can."Additionally, Flick acknowledged the presence of former Manchester United player Jesse Lingard in FC Seoul's lineup, noting his quality and experience from England. However, Flick stressed the importance of focusing on his own team as they prepare for the upcoming season.Flick noted that he was unaware of Lingard and new Barca player Marcus Rashford's past as teammates at Manchester United, a potential reunion that has excited football fans in Seoul."Marcus is a great player. I've followed him (for) many years since he started his career in Manchester," the coach added. "He has a lot of quality and hopefully he can show it this season in our team."