The origin of Lamine Yamal's rise at FC Barcelona traces back to a 2014 email from scout Óscar Hernández, who is now an assistant coach at Deportivo de La Coruña. This connection gains significance ahead of the upcoming clash between the two sides at Riazor on the weekend of November 29th. Barcelona, sitting top of La Liga with 21 points from seven games, will face a rival whose bench holds a key figure in the story of their current star.
The email that changed a career
In 2014, a young Lamine Yamal, born in 2007 and from Esplugues de Llobregat, was playing in the benjamín category for the modest club La Torreta. Óscar Hernández, then a Barcelona scout, saw him in person and alerted his superiors. He sent an email to two youth coordinators requesting a trial for the boy, who was abroad with his family at the time. "We agreed with both the coordinator and the president of La Torreta club to have him come for a trial once he returns from his country and then receive the call-up via letter from F.C. Barcelona, as established in these cases, which will be answered by them," Hernández stated in the message. Espanyol also showed interest, but the agreement was with Barcelona after the trial upon his return.
The discoverer's journey
Óscar Hernández began his career at La Masia in September 2006, serving as a trainer, scout, coordinator, and technical director until his departure in 2017. After a stint with Japan's Albirex Niigata and as an assistant to Javier Mascherano with Argentina's U20s, he worked in international scouting for Girona and the City Group. He later joined Gabi's staff at Getafe and Zaragoza. In June 2025, he moved to Deportivo as an assistant to Antonio Hidalgo, with whom he had previously worked at Sabadell, completing a journey that now places him opposite his former club.
Barcelona's current context
While the past intertwines with the future fixture, Barcelona is in a period of outstanding form. The team leads La Liga with a perfect record, five points clear of Atlético Madrid, and has scored 31 goals in seven matches. Lamine Yamal, now 19 and a Euro 2024 champion with Spain, is a central figure in this success, consistently providing assists and goals. His evolution from that trial is evidence of the academy's work, which fans can track on the club's stats page. The next challenge is a home game against Getafe, a team they beat 0-2 last season, with details available on the fixtures schedule.
The reunion at Riazor in late November will see Óscar Hernández on the opposing bench, watching closely the player whose destiny he helped shape twelve years ago.
First reported at Sport.es
