May 22, 2026, Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Barcelona, Spain: Joan Laporta, President-elect of FC Barcelona attends his press during the Koeman Cup by Fundation Sportium golf tournament at Club de Golf Barcelona on May 22, 2026 in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Spain.
Credit Image: © Javier Borrego/AFP7 via ZUMA Press Wire
After a forgettable night in which they suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals Real Madrid at their own ground, FC Barcelona returned to the public eye at the Ballon d’Or Gala which was held in London on Monday.
The Blaugranes had quite a mixed night in the English capital, as they saw their women’s team being named as the best in Europe, the women’s team head coach, Pere Romeu, as the best in his category, and Lamine Yamal as the best young talent with the Kopa Trophy.
However, the most prestigious prize eluded them, as Yamal ranked third in the rankings of the Ballon d’Or, which was won by the Bayern Munich star Harry Kane, with the Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe standing second.
Barcelona were represented at the highest level in this ceremony, their delegation being led by the president Joan Laporta himself. As Diario AS has reported, the top Blaugrana official also talked to the media ahead of the ceremony, and once again advocated for Yamal to be given the Ballon d’Or:
“We think he deserves it. If you look at the three names being mentioned, I think Lamine deserves it because of his talent and what he’s won. He’s very excited about it.”
Laporta also admitted that the El Clasico loss was a bitter experience for the fans, but also highlighted that his Barcelona team is still leading on the table:
“It was a heavy blow for the fans, but the coach already knows what happened. We couldn’t impose our style of play, and we have to accept that. Real Madrid are very dangerous on the counter-attack. In any case, we’re still top of the table, and we know this is a marathon, not a sprint. Our expectations remain unchanged.”
The club president also took this opportunity to reiterate his faith in Hansi Flick:
“He’s the ideal man for Barça. He understands our system and is a Cruyff fan. That’s why we chose him, although every coach brings his own touch. He likes vertical football, and we’re loving it. The results speak for themselves.
Our aim is to win La Liga and, with all due humility, go after the Champions League, which has eluded us. Hansi knows what Barça fans like: that style of play built around the three Ps — possession, positioning and pressing. We also play the offside trap, and it gets results, although it makes us suffer.”
Going forward, Barcelona have a match against Alaves awaiting them when they return to action on Saturday. Hopefully, Hansi Flick will be able to get his team back to winning ways after the bitter losses to PSG and Real Madrid in their last two games.