Hansi Flick backs Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d'Or after Barcelona beat Feyenoord 5-1

BarcelonaBarcelonaLaLiga · Spain1st POS31–1–6 W-D-L head coach Hansi Flick is reported to have said that Lamine YamalLamine YamalBarcelona · Spain · Forward deserves to win the Ballon d'Or, following the player's performance in Wednesday's 5-1 Champions LeagueChampions LeagueEurope win over Feyenoord.

The endorsement came after the match, in which Barcelona scored five against the Dutch side. Flick is reported to have described Yamal as special while making the case for him to take the sport's leading individual prize.

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What Flick said

Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0

The comments were tied to Yamal's display on the night, which was presented as another standout showing rather than a single good game. They amount to a head coach publicly placing one of his own players above the rest of the field.

Barcelona's 5-1 win over Feyenoord was a Champions League fixture played on Wednesday. A result of that size gave the night its own weight; Flick's decision to single out one player for the game's biggest individual award added a second storyline.

Why the endorsement matters

Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0

A manager naming one of his own players as a Ballon d'Or winner is a public judgement about where that player stands, and it raises expectations around both the individual and the team. It also puts Flick's own assessment on record at a stage of the season when results can still shift quickly.

The Ballon d'Or is the annual award for the player judged the best in the world. It is not clear what influence, if any, a coach's public backing has on the outcome, and no voting detail has been disclosed in connection with Flick's remarks.

What is not yet known

Barcelona have not commented publicly on the Ballon d'Or in relation to Flick's remarks, and it is not known whether the club shares his view. No date has been given for the award and no shortlist has been published. It has also not been established whether the comments were made at a formal press conference or more informally.

• Whether Lamine Yamal has responded to his coach's remarks.
• Whether Barcelona intend to promote Yamal's case for the award.
• When the Ballon d'Or will be awarded and who else is in contention.
• Whether Yamal's form over the rest of the season changes the picture.

What happens next

Barcelona continue their domestic and European campaigns, and Yamal's performances in them will be measured against what his coach has now said in public. Flick has set a benchmark for a player he works with every week, and the months ahead will show whether it helps or weighs on him.