Flick: Yamal deserves the Ballon d'Or; Raphinha and Pedri are too good to miss out

After leading Barcelona to a dominant 5-1 home victory over Feyenoord in the Champions League, coach Hansi Flick continued to campaign for Yamal's Ballon d'Or at the post-match press conference. Yamal scored a direct free-kick in the match.

Today, the starting lineup changed 5 players compared to the previous match, yet the team still scored 5 goals. Is the gap between the starters and substitutes smaller this season than last season?

Our training quality is very high, and everyone competes actively in training. As I said at the press conference yesterday, we have high-level players in every position. We are also pleased to see that even with adjustments to the starting lineup, the team can still continue our original style of play.

Do you think Yamal should win the Ballon d'Or?

Of course. He is my player, a Barcelona player, and he deserves the Ballon d'Or. He is an outstanding player, and you can see from our matches how special he is; no one plays like him. He certainly deserves to win the award.

Today you used three players in the number 9 position: Raphinha, Olmo, and Jesus. What role did each play?

I think we can adjust at any time, which is good. Dani (Olmo) is good at controlling the ball, while Rapha is very energetic, and his forward runs after receiving passes from Pedri were very clever. We had many chances, and our counter-attacks were very threatening. We also managed to control the ball and patiently wait for opportunities. Lamine Yamal's free-kick was also brilliant.

Yesterday's match between Real Madrid and Inter Milan was rather dull, but today's Barcelona match was certainly a feast for all football lovers. How do you view such vastly different ways of winning?

I am the coach of Barcelona, and I am very happy to be here. I think we performed excellently in the first five matches, scoring many goals, but in my opinion, the most important thing is that we played as a unit and dominated the game. This is the style we want, and Barcelona fans enjoy watching it.

Is this the strongest Barcelona team you've coached, especially in terms of playing style?

I am very satisfied with how the team performed in the match, but I also saw some areas that need improvement, which is normal. I have said that training is the most important because training is how we improve and develop. First, there must be high-quality training. After the match, we analyze our shortcomings and then improve them through training.

I am very satisfied with my players' performance on the field, but I believe we always have room for improvement, and we will do better.

This is your third season coaching Barcelona. The team's start to this season feels very different from the previous two seasons. What changes happened this summer that allowed the team to be in such good form?

The season has just begun, and there's a long way to go, but things look very good. We train very seriously, the players work very hard, and everyone has a strong drive to improve, which in turn affects the team's performance on the field. This fighting spirit is exactly what we need, and high-intensity pressing is key to our philosophy. Moreover, our overall cohesion is very strong, which is the most gratifying. Everyone participates in both defense and attack, everyone works closely together, and the players are positioned close to each other, so we can immediately win the ball back after losing it.

I think today's match was difficult because Feyenoord played very well, and I really like their style of play. As you can see, every team in the Champions League is very strong, and they are here because they qualified. We must always remember this and respect every opponent.

The new signings have adapted quickly. How much did the atmosphere in the dressing room contribute to this?

I think my coaching staff—from the tactical staff to the analysts and fitness coaches—has done an excellent job of ensuring that every player feels good here. The key is making the players understand our philosophy and style of play. This situation is not easy to manage because when you have so many high-level players, they all want to play, so we must arrange things properly. But as I have always said, the team and the club come first, and achieving our goals is important, and everyone thinks this way.

In addition, our training quality is very high. Especially after playing Valencia, the training session the next day was one of the best I have ever seen—perhaps the best in the last two years, comparable even to some training sessions when I coached Bayern Munich. This mindset and attitude are exactly what we need in every training session. We are proud of this, and I am very satisfied.

Today, the crowd chanted your name. What does this recognition mean to you?

Everyone knows that I am very happy coaching Barcelona. We have a great relationship with the fans and the whole city, which is a pleasant situation, and this mentality might be completely different from what I was used to in the past (laughs). I am very proud to have this experience; it is my dream.

You just mentioned Bayern Munich. Does this Barcelona team remind you of the Bayern Munich team that won the sextuple? What do you think of Adeyemi's celebration?

(Laughs) It's fine, he can do that.

I don't want to compare these two teams and clubs, because I think they are different. I had a wonderful time in Munich, coaching an excellent team, and time has passed. Now I am at another stage of my life. I love every day here, and walking the streets of Barcelona every day feels particularly special. Not only me, but my team and family have also been warmly welcomed here, and I am truly very happy and grateful.

Today, Raphinha and Pedri both performed excellently. What do you think about them being left out of the Ballon d'Or shortlist?

They both certainly played a great game and should definitely be on the list. There are 30 players on the list, and both of them are so good that they shouldn't be excluded. Although we cannot change this, they are outstanding players and deserve to be on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

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