A big future awaits the Barcelona star

Barcelona president Joan Laporta left London with a defiant message about the Catalan club's future. He backed Lamine Yamal's right to win the Ballon d'Or and insisted the teenager will claim football's most prestigious individual prize in time.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Laporta also rallied behind his side after the defeat to Real Madrid, celebrating Barcelona's successes on a night that brought notable wins for the women's team.

Of Lamine Yamal, Laporta said: "I am convinced that he will win the Ballon d'Or, I don't know when, but he deserved it."

The Barcelona president wanted to underline the value of the campaign the player delivered. Lamine missed out on the major prize in the men's category but was crowned the world's best young player for the third year running.

Deal with the vote positively and turn it into fuel. That was Laporta's message for the young striker and his teammates. "In my view, he did enough to win the Ballon d'Or, but the voters decided the matter this way, and that must be accepted in a sporting spirit. I hope this will be a motivation for him on a personal level, and I am sure it will be. All his teammates will help him get over this disappointment quickly," he explained.

Laporta returned to the scale of what Lamine has done, back-to-back-to-back as the world's best young player. "We must give him love and support because he deserves it," he said.

Praising the exceptional nature of the player's career, he added: "This is unique, and Lamine has achieved it since he was sixteen years old, and it is an achievement that deserves praise. He deserves everything, and we will all help him to be more motivated to win this award next year."

Unshakeable confidence after the Clasico

Barcelona's defeat to Real Madrid also drew a response. Laporta called for it to be handled in a sporting spirit, with the team's objectives for the season still firmly in sight.

The Catalan club president defended his side's ability to regain its balance. This stumble, he insisted, should be a chance to learn and correct mistakes.

He continued: "The defeat must be accepted in a sporting spirit, and it should be a motivation for us to move forward, for our ambitions this season have not changed."

Casting his mind back to a strong start, the Barcelona president voiced his confidence in sticking to the same approach. "We started the season very well, and we will continue in this manner, and I am sure of that," he added.

Laporta also threw his weight behind coach Hansi Flick, noting the manager had already picked apart what went wrong. "This defeat will help us learn from our mistakes and improve the aspects we need to develop. The truth is that I am still proud of my players and my coach, and Barcelona's fans can feel reassured," he said.