Girona attacker believes Barcelona superstar should have won the Ballon d’Or – “He was the best” | OneFootball

Barcelona are gearing up for the much-awaited Catalan derby this weekend as they take on Girona.

There will be a lot at stake as Hansi Flick’s men look to maintain the pressure on Real Madrid, especially after a defeat to Sevilla before the international break.

Barcelona, though, are dealing with an apparent injury crisis, but one of the players likely to make it in time for the Girona clash is Lamine Yamal.

Speaking to the media ahead of the encounter, Girona winger Joel Roca heaped praise on Yamal, even admitting that he should have won the Ballon d’Or.

Joel Roca wanted Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or

While Roca admitted Ousmane Dembele won many titles, he believes Lamine Yamal was the best player overall.

”Lamine is a great player as we see, he has capabilities that few possess, and he has a great future, and he can become the best player in the world,” he said ahead of the game (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

Lamine Yamal finished behind Ousmane Dembele in the Ballon d’Or rankings. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images for Qatar Airways)

The young forward went on to talk about Dembele, who won the Ballon d’Or after a spectacular season that saw him secure the treble with Paris Saint-Germain.

“It’s true that Dembele won many titles, but for me personally, Lamine was the best this season,” he said.

Finally, Roca talked about Yamal’s off-field activities that has caught the attention of the press. He also admitted that the Spaniard is far too matured for his age.

”He can do whatever he wants in his life as long as he performs well on the field. For his age, he is very mature. I think he should be allowed to do what he wants, and let him play,” he concluded.

It will be interesting to see if Roca can outperform Yamal as Girona take on Barcelona in the all-important Catalan derby this weekend.