Expectation is in the air ahead of Barça's Champions League debut against Feyenoord on Wednesday at Spotify Camp Nou, kick off 6.45pm CEST. Lamine Yamal faced the press at the Ciutat Esportiva on Tuesday, admitting, "we have the Champions League on our minds as it is the biggest competition that there is."
Clear objectives
The teenager forward was asked about his objectives, which he explained it detail: "At a collective level, to keep winning titles. On an individual level, to continue developing. I'm still very young and I can improve, and that's my goal." Last week, he was named the fifth captain of the squad. Speaking about the appointment, he said: "It's a privilege to be a captain at 19 years of age. I'm very grateful to my team-mates. It's a role that makes me more responsible. I'm very happy and I'll try to give my best for the team. Lamine went on to describe his fellow captains, Raphinha, Pedri, Eric Garcia and Frenkie de Jong, as his "examples" and "role models".
"Here we all press "
He also spoke about the pressing style employed by Hansi Flick's side: "All the teams that have won trophies in recent years press. Here, everyone presses. If you don't run, every team can beat you. If we want to win, we have to run. And if we don't run, we'll lose." Spoken like a true captain.
Finally, he assessed his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or, on the day the nominations for the awards were being announced. Lamine Yamal believes he has "a chance" because he has had "a great year". However, he emphasised the importance of his team-mates in helping him produce those performances and added: "I've never been as happy as I am now."