BARCELONA coach Hansi Flick believes Lamine Yamal will use his Ballon d’Or disappointment as motivation to achieve even greater success.
The 18-year-old winger finished second behind Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele in the prestigious award ceremony held in Paris on Monday.
Yamal did secure the Kopa Trophy for the best young player in the world.
Flick revealed he had spoken with the young star and found him to have a positive perspective on the result.
“He sees it in the right way, so it’s for him also motivation for the next years,“ Flick told a news conference.
The coach acknowledged that Dembele deserved the award and said Yamal had accepted the outcome well.
Flick expressed his hope that Yamal would be a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or in the future.
He also highlighted the positive impact of having several Barcelona players in the running for such accolades.
Yamal will miss Barcelona’s upcoming La Liga match against Real Oviedo due to a groin issue.
The champions are currently five points behind leaders Real Madrid in the league standings.
Barcelona has managed impressive victories against Valencia and Getafe in their last two matches without the influential winger.
Flick stated he does not focus on absent players but instead concentrates on the available squad.
He expressed full confidence in every member of his team to secure wins.
The coach also provided an update on midfielder Gavi, who will be sidelined for four to five months following knee surgery.
Flick emphasised the need for a careful and gradual recovery process for the 21-year-old.
He praised Gavi’s immense passion and commitment to the club.
The entire team will support Gavi in his rehabilitation to help him return to his previous level. – AFP
