The story is the ban and the bodybuilder line. West Ham assistant coach Paco Jemez told Goal.com that Adama Traore has “a physique that isn’t for football” and looks like “a bodybuilder in miniature”; manager Nuno Espirito Santo then banned the winger from lifting weights at the club. The real angle is that coaching staffs still treat physique as something to control rather than asking why the system fails to get the best from certain body types.
Clubs police the body instead of fixing the system that underuses it
Traore joined West Ham from Fulham in January 2026. By March, Nuno had ordered him to stay out of the gym for heavy lifting. The BBC and The Athletic reported that Nuno described Traore’s build as “incredible” but said he already “carries enough weight” and would only do prevention work, not strength training. Teammate Crysencio Summerville had earlier posted a video of Traore bench pressing 145kg, contradicting Traore’s own claim that he did not lift weights and that his muscles were genetics. The ban made headlines; Jemez’s comments to Goal.com gave the soundbite. He said Traore’s physique would be “more suited to an NFL player” and that he looked like “a culturista en version reducida” (a bodybuilder in miniature).
The debate has resurfaced repeatedly: pundits and former players cite his physique as a reason for inconsistent minutes or end product, while performance analysts note that Traore has often been used in systems that prioritise possession and intricate build-up rather than the kind of direct, transition-based play that has historically suited his strengths. West Ham’s current relegation battle has put every selection decision under scrutiny, and the weightlifting ban has become a proxy for the larger question of how the club gets the best from its January signing.
Criticism of Traore’s build is not new. As reported by outlets such as AS and Marca, former Premier League player Jose Enrique had argued that Traore was “carrying too much weight” and that “a footballer is not meant to be that strong,” suggesting it limited his ability to run for 90 minutes. Yet data has shown Traore completing 90 minutes multiple times in a season. Analysts have pointed to system fit, decision-making and technical output rather than physique alone as the limiting factors. Nuno, who worked with Traore at Wolverhampton Wanderers between 2018 and 2021, has said he has “unique” pace and one-on-one ability and will play an important role in West Ham’s survival fight despite only five appearances and one Premier League start by early March 2026.
Jemez told Marca and Goal.com that physical ability matters in the Premier League but that “what’s important is the ball” and that players must “know how to play football.” The implication is that Traore’s body is the problem to be managed. The alternative reading is that the problem is how he is used: a player with exceptional power and pace who has rarely been the focal point of a system, and whose end product and defensive role have been questioned while his physique is blamed. The weightlifting ban is a direct intervention on the body. There is no equivalent public intervention on the tactical setup or the way the team is structured to get the best from him.
Goal.com led with the NFL and mini-bodybuilder framing in March 2026. Talksport, beIN Sports and FotMob all picked up the ban. The narrative was consistent: incredible genetics, too much muscle, stay out of the gym. Nuno contrasted Traore with younger players who need to build muscle, saying it was “the other way around” for the winger. The story was about controlling the body. The question of whether West Ham’s system was built to maximise a player like Traore was left off the press conference script.
What This Actually Means
The ban and the bodybuilder line are easy copy. The harder question is whether clubs default to controlling physique because it is simpler than redesigning the system. Traore’s body is treated as the variable to fix; the formation, the coaching and the role assigned to him are treated as given. Until that flips, stories like this will keep repeating: a striking physique, a public ban or a coach’s quip, and the same debate about whether the player fits, instead of whether the system does.
Who is Adama Traore?
Adama Traore is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger. He joined West Ham United from Fulham in January 2026 and had previously played under Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He has represented Spain at senior level and is known for his pace and powerful build. In March 2026 West Ham manager Nuno banned him from heavy weightlifting at the club, and assistant Paco Jemez described his physique as resembling a “mini bodybuilder” and more suited to NFL than football.