Key Takeaways
- Hansi Flick supported Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or ambitions, stating that “he is exceptional” and possesses genuine self-confidence on the pitch.
- The manager highlighted the coaching work of Alberto at Racing Santander, warning that “they play brave” ahead of the LaLiga meeting at Camp Nou.
- Flick addressed squad management and the return of Gavi, observing that “Gavi his ambition is huge and he also always want to play.”
Managing squad rotation and fixture demands
Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick addressed the media on September 16, 2026, ahead of his side’s LaLiga clash against Racing Santander at Camp Nou. The Blaugrana head into the home fixture on the back of a 4-2 away victory over Levante, but the German tactician is keeping his focus firmly on managing energy levels and approaching the upcoming fixture with care.
Speaking about the congestion created by the international calendar following a long World Cup, Flick acknowledged the strain placed on clubs. “I think it was necessary but at the end of course for a club it’s not the best situation,” Flick explained. “I’m honest about this but we have to accept it and we will support also the national teams and this is what we can do and nothing else.”
The manager also highlighted the daily task of squad selection after a recovery session. “Today was more also a day for recovery. So the load was not too high and of course tomorrow I will see who is able to start who we have to give some minutes or less minutes,” he noted. Flick made sure to stress that rotation will be vital across the campaign, referencing Gavi’s return after picking up an injury against Elche: “Gavi his ambition is huge and he also always want to play. So he started the first game against Elche and he was injured and then he came back. But at the moment it’s like the team is doing good doing well and we are successful.”
Backing Lamine Yamal and individual form
Flick was full of praise for young winger Lamine Yamal, discussing the player’s Ballon d’Or ambitions and his remarkable technical qualities in one-on-one situations. “He’s honest and he has the self-confidence and he also shows in the beginning of the season how good he is. He’s exceptional,” Flick said, reaffirming his full support for the attacker. “This is a style of confidence he has when it comes to one against one or one against two three or like this everyone in the stadium make wow but this is at the end Lamine and I will support him.”
Assessing the winger’s claims for individual honours alongside top players, Flick added, “When he has the opinion that he deserved it, I think also he deserved it because he won two titles with us the World Cup with the Spanish national team. Why not?”
Addressing competition across the pitch, Flick touched upon the left-back role and Javi Espa’s emergence, noting that having depth is positive even if players out of the lineup feel frustrated. “Of course he’s not happy. This is normal. He’s not playing. He has no minutes,” Flick remarked regarding the competitive dynamic, adding, “For me a good situation for the club is a good situation I think also for the team but at the end to manage it this is the most difficult part.”
Respect for Racing Santander
Refusing to look past the task at hand or dwell on long-term records, Flick pointed out that their upcoming opponents will pose a serious threat. Racing Santander recently picked up momentum with a 2-1 win over Deportivo Alavés in LaLiga.
“We want to win games. We want to win every game. So this is the focus and we want to win the next match and don’t thinking about other things,” Flick said. He praised the work done by the opposition bench: “Tomorrow we had an important match at home against opponent they are doing really good. Alberto made a fantastic job. It’s amazing to see them how they playing. They play brave out and also the second balls are they doing good.”
Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana
SpainThis season he played in total 5 times for 401 minutes for La Liga.
Lamine Yamal scored 6 goals for FC Barcelona. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 1st in La Liga. In the last match FC Barcelona won 4-2 against Levante.
FC Barcelona performance and stats
FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona is currently 1st in the La Liga with 15 points.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 21 goals and conceding 4.
FC Barcelona will play the next match in La Liga against Racing Santander on Wednesday 16th of September in Barcelona. The prediction is FC Barcelona winning the match.
