Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Lamine Yamal deserved to win the Ballon d'Or and said the club must accept its defeat to Real Madrid in a sporting spirit.
Laporta backs Yamal for the Ballon d'Or
Of Lamine Yamal, Laporta said: "I am convinced that he will win the Ballon d'Or, I don't know when, but he deserved it."
Laporta also said: "In my view, he did enough to win the Ballon d'Or, but the voters decided the matter this way, and that must be accepted in a sporting spirit. I hope this will be a motivation for him on a personal level, and I am sure it will be. All his teammates will help him get over this disappointment quickly."
Best young player for the third straight year
Lamine Yamal was crowned the world's best young player for the third year running.
Laporta returned to the scale of what Lamine has done, back-to-back-to-back as the world's best young player: "We must give him love and support because he deserves it."
Praising the exceptional nature of the player's career, he added: "This is unique, and Lamine has achieved it since he was sixteen years old, and it is an achievement that deserves praise. He deserves everything, and we will all help him to be more motivated to win this award next year."
Defeat to Real Madrid and season ambitions
He continued: "The defeat must be accepted in a sporting spirit, and it should be a motivation for us to move forward, for our ambitions this season have not changed."
Laporta also said: "We started the season very well, and we will continue in this manner, and I am sure of that."
Support for the team
Laporta said: "This defeat will help us learn from our mistakes and improve the aspects we need to develop. The truth is that I am still proud of my players and my coach, and Barcelona's fans can feel reassured."
GOAL said that according to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Laporta also rallied behind his side after the defeat to Real Madrid and celebrated Barcelona's successes on a night that brought notable wins for the women's team.
