Deco, sporting director of the Blaugrana team, attended the 'Thinking Football Summit' organized by the Portuguese League in Porto, where he praised Barcelona’s youth academy and especially Lamine Yamal.

Deco remarked, "Lamine has been special since he was very young," emphasizing his "completely different technical ability" compared to others.

"Lamine Yamal would play in the best FC Barcelona teams" in history, Deco stated. He also highlighted the mental strength of the young winger, describing it as "different from what we’re used to seeing" and noting how he manages "not to feel the weight" of representing Barcelona or the Spanish national team on major stages.

During his participation in the Portuguese forum, Deco delved into the role of La Masía in his vision for the present and future of FC Barcelona, explaining that when he first arrived at Camp Nou, he found "little coordination" between the academy and the professional football team.

He also analyzed why Barcelona was losing some players early in their development, something he claims has already been addressed.

"The first thing I did when I arrived was to understand what we have at home. With every top-level player we promote to the first team, we don’t have to go to the market, so we’re saving money because we’re developing talent properly," Deco explained.

According to the former Portuguese international, "Barcelona’s success story has always been a combination of academy players with those who have achieved something but have not yet reached the peak of their careers."

He pointed to his time as a Barcelona player in teams featuring the likes of Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho, alongside homegrown talents such as Puyol and Xavi.

"That balance is what we’ve managed to build. Creating the foundation of today’s Barcelona and for the years to come, that’s the main goal," he emphasized.

When discussing the type of player Barcelona seeks, Deco was clear: "I know there are many players who want to play for FC Barcelona, but we want players who dream of winning with FC Barcelona, which is something completely different."

"We want players who want and dream of winning at Barcelona. That’s the secret to winning again, and that’s what we’re going to do," he added.