Flick on Yamal: “Not winning the Ballon d'Or is a real motivator” | OneFootball

The coach of Barcelona, Hansi Flick, stated this Wednesday that the forward Lamine Yamal will come out stronger after not winning the Ballon d'Or, which was awarded to the Frenchman from Paris Saint-Germain, Ousmane Dembélé.

"It's a motivation for the coming years not having won the Ballon d'Or," said Flick in a press conference on the eve of the match against Oviedo, for the Spanish Championship.

"Lamine took it well, he is motivated to show that he is good. Maybe he will be a candidate next season," added the German coach, who revealed that the young forward's return is closer after a pubis injury.

Camp Nou Unavailable

Regarding Camp Nou, which has not yet been cleared for partial reopening, Flick mentioned that he hasn't seen the new facilities.

"I haven't had time to visit the stadium. I've been here for over a year and couldn't. We played last season in Montjuïc, with fantastic moments, I don't care where we play," he confessed.

"What matters is the level the team shows, it doesn't matter if it's Montjuïc, [the stadium] Johan Cruyff, or Camp Nou," added the Barça coach, who needs a win to not fall too far behind Real Madrid, the sole leader of the championship after their sixth consecutive victory, over Levante (4-1).

"Real Madrid did very well in the first six games. Last season there were many ups and downs, and this one might not be so easy. We have to focus on ourselves," explained Flick.

Gavi Injured

Regarding Gavi's absence, who will be delayed for a period of four to five months after undergoing an arthroscopy, the coach believes that the surgery is not such bad news.

"Now we know what needs to be done. He is 21 years old and has a long career ahead. He has to think about that, get 100% fit, and stay strong," he emphasized.

"He must be a professional player, work hard. We have to teach him that. He has a huge heart, he is very emotional. I wouldn't say he would die for this club, but he lives for this club," he added.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.