Barcelona star Fermin Lopez has backed his teammate Lamine Yamal to be crowned the world's best player with the Ballon d'Or.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Lopez said: "There are many Spaniards who deserve it, but if I had to choose one player, I would choose Yamal."
He added: "Yamal is an exceptional player, and he has delivered a wonderful year with Barcelona. Perhaps he was not able to show his best version at the World Cup because he was returning from injury, but in the end he was crowned with the title, and I believe he deserves the award."
Others got a mention too. "There are also many Spanish players who deserve it. Pedri, for example, is not among the list of nominees, and neither is Raphinha. Pau Cubarsi has also delivered a wonderful year, but if I had to choose one player, I would choose Lamine," he stressed.
Turning to the fixture pile-up, he pointed out: "The international break will affect Barcelona's rhythm a little, as there are many players who make long trips, such as Raphinha, who is enjoying a wonderful period physically and technically. Perhaps that will affect us a little, but we always want to play as many matches as possible. The matter of the match calendar deserves review, because in the end it is the players who pay the price."
The summer business has lifted the squad, in his view. "Barcelona has made a big leap thanks to the new signings, and there is strong competition for positions. I believe Deco has done a wonderful job, and the new deals help us a great deal," Lopez noted.
He explained: "We can talk about the Champions League, but as Rodri said, we cannot get ahead of ourselves, because right now we are enjoying a good period. Bad periods will also come. We have to go step by step, and I believe we are developing more and more as a team, and I hope we reach the Champions League and put in a good performance, and I hope we can win it."
One new face caught him off guard. "Which of the new faces surprised you the most in the Spanish national team? I already knew Rodri, so he did not surprise me much, but I would say Anthony Gordon. We faced Newcastle in the Champions League twice, I believe, but I was not following him much. I did not watch many of his matches, and honestly he surprised me a lot, and I believe he is a player who will help us a great deal," he said.
Raphinha's reinvention drew his praise as well. "I believe Raphinha's adaptation to the out-and-out striker position was astonishing. No one expected that, because he had never played in that position before," he stressed.
As for his own targets, he confirmed: "Have I set a specific number of goals for this season? No. There are people around me who set certain numbers for me, but I try not to think about them and not to put pressure on myself. The less pressure you put on yourself, the more goals come."