Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has praised Lamine Yamal’s attitude after the winger finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting, saying the teenager had returned to training with focus despite missing out on the award. Speaking on Friday, October 30, Flick said Yamal’s response had been positive for the team as it prepared for a home match against Alaves.
The 19-year-old placed behind winner Harry Kane and runner-up Kylian Mbappe in Monday’s vote for the world’s best player. Yamal had won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain, but those successes were not enough to secure the individual honour.
Flick said Kane merited the award while maintaining that Yamal was already capable of winning it. The coach expressed pride in the winger’s reaction, pointing to his concentration during training. “His mentality is very good for the team,” Flick said, describing that approach as the right response to disappointment.
Saturday’s fixture against Alaves gives Yamal another opportunity to move on from the result and offers Barcelona a chance to recover from successive defeats. The Catalan club had opened the campaign with 11 victories across all competitions before suffering setbacks in both the Champions League and La Liga.
Their winning start ended with a 4-2 defeat away to PSG in the French capital last Tuesday. Barcelona then lost 2-1 at home to Real Madrid last weekend, with Mbappe inspiring the visitors. Despite those results, Flick’s side remain at the top of La Liga with a two-point advantage.
Flick made clear that securing victory against Alaves was the immediate priority. He said Barcelona were playing well and retained confidence in their strengths, adding that the quality of training and the positive mood within the squad now needed to be reflected in the match.
The coach acknowledged Alaves’ ability to defend effectively but said Barcelona wanted to produce their best performance. His assessment combined confidence in the team’s preparations with recognition of the challenge awaiting them at home.
Although Flick admitted that he disliked losing, he stressed that the season still had a long way to run and that trophies would be decided at its conclusion. He said Barcelona had to accept the defeats and learn from them, even while believing they could have won.
