Hansi Flick defends Barcelona's Ballon d'Or campaign for Lamine Yamal ahead of Racing Santander clash

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has strongly defended the club's campaign to have Lamine Yamal win the prestigious Ballon d'Or. Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the La Liga fixture against Racing Santander, Flick addressed the young forward's recent candid remarks about deserving the accolade.

"And why not campaign for Lamine? He's our player, and I support players who have confidence. I think it's a good idea. I support our players," Flick stated.

Flick highlighted Lamine Yamal's exceptional qualities, noting that his self-belief on the pitch translates directly into match-winning moments and consistent goalscoring form. The manager admitted he would have preferred the youngster to avoid some of the media storm, but ultimately values the player's refreshing sincerity.

"He's a young player, he's sincere, and he's confident. And I like that. He's confident in his game. We want him to keep it up; that's how he wins one-on-one and one-on-two situations. That's what confidence gives him. If he believes he deserves it, then so do I," Flick explained.

Aside from individual accolades, Flick expressed his delight over the selection of the Camp Nou as the host venue for the 2029 Champions League final. While thrilled by the milestone for the club, the German coach remained coy on whether he will still be occupying the dugout when the showpiece event arrives in Catalonia.

"It's our dream to win it first. It's great news to be hosting the final. It will be incredible. I'll be here 100 percent, I don't know if as a coach. We'll see. You never know. I'm enjoying it, but you never know what will happen," he noted.

With the external noise surrounding awards and future venues swirling, Flick's immediate priority remains firmly on domestic competition and managing his squad's heavy workload. The Blaugrana manager warned his players against complacency ahead of their matchday six encounter against a spirited Racing Santander side.

"We're not one for breaking records or anything like that, what we want is to win matches. We're focused on winning tomorrow... we're playing against a great opponent, who comes out with courage, attacks deep, into space... we have to be focused and show that we're the best team in the match," Flick concluded.