Former Barcelona prodigy talks Yamal, Pique and Pedri – “My pranks were small compared to Pique” | OneFootball

A product of La Masia youth academy, Keita Balde Diao may not have made a huge impact at Barcelona. But the explosive winger was always a fun character and a favourite in the dressing room.

This was no exception during his time at La Masia either. In a recent interaction with Diario SPORT, Keita Balde spoke about his experience at Barcelona while offering his thoughts on some of the current stars, such as Pedri and Lamine Yamal.

Keita Balde about his time at Barcelona

At La Masia, Keita Balde had a reputation for being a prankster. When asked about his mischievous acts, the forward said, “I’m a fun-loving person; I love jokes and cheerful atmospheres.

“Since I was young, I’ve been energetic, playful, and positive, and that’s the trait that’s stuck with me,” he added.

Keita revealed that his pranks even led to a loan move away from the club, but claimed that Gerard Piqué was a bigger prankster.

“It’s true that there was a lot of talk about a prank where I put ice in one of my teammates’ beds, which ended with me being loaned to Cornella.

“But from what I’ve heard, these pranks of mine are small compared to what Gerard Piqué did throughout his career,” he said.

Balde Diao Keita was quite the character at La Masia. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Keita Balde on Pedri, Yamal and Balde

The AC Monza winger went on to talk about some of the current stars in the Barcelona team, including his namesake, Alejandro Balde.

Talking about Yamal, the winger said, “What I liked about Lamine is his brilliance, the lightness of his, if he’s playing in his neighbourhood with friends. has that touch, that natural spontaneity, and I really admire that.“

The Monza star also heaped praise on Pedri and other Barcelona stars, notably admitting that his namesake Balde reminds him of Jordi Alba.

“No one captivates me like Pedri, whom I consider the best midfielder in the world. I also admire De Jong, Cubarsí’s leadership, and the style of Cubarsí and Baldé, which reminds me of Jordi Alba,” he concluded.

Not too long ago, Keita commented on the racial slurs faced by Vinicius, notably admitting that it has been normalised in cities like Barcelona.