Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said Lamine Yamal "reacted very well" after finishing third in Monday's Ballon d'Or voting, won by Harry Kane. Yamal, 19, had won La Liga with Barcelona and the World Cup with Spain.
"I'm very proud of Lamine," Flick said Friday ahead of Barcelona's home match against Alaves. "He reacted very well and was very focused in training. That's the way to respond. His mentality is very good for the team."
Flick added that Yamal was "at the level required to win this award," though he acknowledged Kane "deserved it."
Barcelona enters Saturday's fixture seeking to recover from consecutive defeats. They lost 4-2 at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last Tuesday and 2-1 at home to Real Madrid in La Liga last weekend, despite winning their first 11 matches in all competitions. Barcelona holds a two-point lead atop La Liga ahead of a later match against Atletico Madrid.
Flick said the team played well despite the losses. "The team is playing well and we believe in our strengths. I've seen a good training session and a positive mood," he said. "It's at the end of the season that we can win trophies."