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Special Marking for Lamine Yamal? Monaco Coach Reveals His Plan
On Thursday, Monaco will face Barcelona in their Champions League debut, and Adi Hütter explained his plan to stop Lamine Yamal.
Hardened in the demanding Bundesliga, Austrian coach Adi Hütter of AS Monaco will face a red-hot Barcelona side led by the exuberant Lamine Yamal on Thursday.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach manager gave an interview to EFE, where he stated that he "respects but does not fear" Barça.
To counter the Catalans, the former Austrian international emphasizes his "talented" squad, a blend of experience and youth, as Monaco boasts the third youngest team in this Champions League with an average age of 23.4 years.
At 54, Hütter will make his debut in the Champions League after several seasons in the Europa League. He also highlights the quality of coaches shaped in the Bundesliga, like himself and Barça's Hansi Flick.
The manager of the eight-time French champions, known for developing stars like Mbappé, Thierry Henry, and Trezeguet, spoke about Barcelona's strong form and revealed his approach to stopping Lamine Yamal.
Question: Are you considering repeating the tactic that worked for you a little over a month ago when you beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Joan Gamper Trophy?
Answer: I won’t reveal the tactics. What I can say is that it won't be a similar match. I think, in some way, losing that game actually helped Barcelona. Now they’ve gone five straight matches scoring and have only conceded four goals.
Q: What do you fear most about Barcelona?
A: I don’t fear any opponent, but I have a lot of respect for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everyone knows Barcelona. They have Robert Lewandowski, who I know from the Bundesliga; Lamine Yamal, who scored two goals on Sunday, with an incredible left foot, a young, talented, top player; Dani Olmo, whom I also know from the Bundesliga and is one of the best in Europe; and then there’s Raphinha.
Q: Will you have a special plan for Lamine?
A: When I was a player, many of my coaches believed in man-marking, even following players to the bathroom (laughs). No, seriously, we want to stop him as a team. I’m not the kind of coach who assigns man-marking duties.
Q: What’s the difference between Flick's Barça and Xavi's?
A: It’s not my job to give opinions on different coaching styles. I know Flick, and you can quickly see his style: high lines, aggressive play, flexible, pressing high up the pitch, something I also like.
