During the 2026 IFA event held in Berlin, McManamanña gave an interview to Sport. In the latter part of the interview, he shared his views on Trent Alexander-Arnold, José Mourinho, and Lamine Yamal. Related link: [McManamanña: Arsenal are still title contenders this season; I really like Araújo]

You moved from Spain to Liverpool and then to Real Madrid. What advice would you give to a player like Trent Alexander-Arnold, who seems to need more time to adapt?

He's a good player. I've spoken with him, and he's in good condition and adapting well. The issue is that he suffered many injuries last season. That's the key point. He had physical problems, and the team's overall performance wasn't at its best either. I think he'll be fine this season. But in the end, competing against Barcelona will still be challenging. Barcelona has signed good players.

Trent Alexander-Arnold played a few days ago and performed very well. There's no need to give him advice. I'm in contact with him, and he knows what he needs to do—learn the language, adapt to the new environment, and enjoy life in Madrid. He's doing that, he has good friends there, and I don't think he'll face any problems.

José Mourinho has returned to Real Madrid. Do you think he can manage the locker room well?

Who knows? That's why he came back. The last time he was there was from 2010 to 2013, and he had to manage many big stars: Ronaldo, Casillas, Ramos... Now he's returned because he wants to surpass Barcelona. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think they need to finish ahead of Atlético.

He needs to finish ahead of Barcelona. If he can finish ahead of Barcelona, that would be truly impressive. If he falls short, it would be a disaster because they haven't won the league in three years. We all know what he needs to do. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

He has already signed several important players like Diomandé, Bernardo Silva, and Kucurella, and he also signed Ëndrick, who has performed well. But most importantly, he needs to make sure Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior play effectively together. We'll have to wait and see.

These are all big-name players. You were part of the "Galácticos" back then. What similarities do you see?

No, because we were very strong and won everything, so there are few similarities to find. Apart from having many big names on the team, there was little else in common. We knew what we had to do, and there was no arrogance.

Everyone knew where they should play. Vinícius Júnior wants to play there, Kylian Mbappé wants to play there, but our team didn't have that issue. Figo played there, you played there... What mattered most was success—winning titles.

If you're winning, no one cares. Because you're winning. If you're losing, I know it becomes a big problem in Spain. So it doesn't matter who's on the team. What matters is whether you're successful.

Barcelona also has the superstar Lamine Yamal. What do you think of him?

I think he's already a world-class player, without a doubt, but I believe he can continue to improve. He's extraordinary.

In what areas do you think he still needs to improve?

He just needs to work hard and continue developing his game. The more experience he gains, the better player he'll become. I hope he avoids injuries. He's already suffered one muscle injury. If you're a Barcelona fan, you know about it.

First, Gavi suffered a serious injury, then Pedri suffered a serious injury, and now it's Lamine Yamal's turn. I hope he can avoid such serious injuries. Playing so many matches and taking on such important responsibilities at 16, 17, or 18 years old is really demanding.

But I think he's the best type of young player we've seen. Considering his age of 16 or 17, he's the best young player we've ever seen. I can compare him to Owen at 17 or Messi at 17 or 18, but I think Lamine Yamal is far superior to them.

Going back to the Champions League, which starts next week. Who do you think are the favorites to win? Which team is in the best form?

I think it will be like every other year: Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Liverpool... Last year they used a new format, but even up to the quarterfinals, the teams that made it were still those everyone expected. The key is luck with the draw. I think you need a bit of luck.

But I don't see any teams other than those we already know. It's the same with the World Cup. The teams playing in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals are all former champions.

The final was between Spain and Argentina, teams that had already won it. I think the Champions League will be the same. The big teams spent more money this year, so they'll still be the strongest.

AI 번역.

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