Hansi Flick said on Friday that Lamine Yamal had reacted like a “champion” after missing out on the 2026 Ballon d’Or again. The Barcelona manager also said his team had to accept the defeat against Real Madrid and learn from it before playing Alavés on Saturday.
Flick praises Yamal’s response
Yamal finished on the Ballon d’Or podium behind Kylian Mbappé and winner Harry Kane. Flick said: “I’m very proud of Lamine. Because he reacted very good, in my opinion. And what I see also in the training, he’s very focused and this is the way how champions respond. He’s doing a very good job at the moment and I’m very happy that he’s on this way. His mentality is also very good for the team.”
Kopa Trophy and Cubarsí remarks
Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the third year in a row. Flick said: “I said this to him and also to the team. The words he said after the trophy he got, about Pau Cubarsí, it was great for me. Pau normally deserved to win this trophy. Because Lamine, the last two seasons he won it also. For me it’s the best time to give Pau Cubarsí this trophy, because he played an unbelievable last season and also he played an excellent World Cup.”
Support for Ballon d’Or ambition
Flick said he would support Yamal’s bid to win the Ballon d’Or. He said: “I would not prefer this. But he is doing it, and has the self-confidence, he wants to win the Ballon d’Or. This is normal as a player, this is an important thing, and important trophy. I will support him.”
Real Madrid defeat and Alavés next
Flick said on Friday that Barcelona had to accept the defeat against Real Madrid and learn from it. He said: “It’s a long, long way to the end of the season where you can win the title. Now is a good moment, nothing happened really bad. Of course we lost against Real Madrid, no one here loves it, the players don’t, I don’t, the fans don’t, the club don’t. But at the end we have to manage it, and how I said before, I think it was possible to win this game. But we have to accept this defeat and we’ll do it, and we’ll learn from it.”
SI said Yamal is the first player in Europe’s top-five leagues to register double-digit goals and assists this term.
