Lamine Yamal on Barcelona’s Champions League Focus: ‘It’s a Positive’
Barcelona's young talent, Lamine Yamal, believes the club's strong desire to win the Champions League is something positive. He described it as almost cowardly not to aim for European success under their coach, Hansi Flick.
Since their last Champions League triumph in 2015, Barcelona have managed to reach the semi-finals and quarter-finals with Flick at the helm. The 2026-27 season has once again placed the Champions League among the team’s highest priorities, a stance that Yamal fully supports.
“I like that people come to the dressing room and believe that we can win the Champions League,” Yamal told Movistar. “The problem would be if someone said we are going to win it no matter what, because you never know that. But being obsessed with winning it is a good thing in the end.”
He added that Barcelona has a rich history of being one of the best teams ever, having lifted the Champions League trophy multiple times. With a squad capable of competing at the highest level, Yamal feels it would be wrong not to target the European title this season.
“We are Barça and Barça have had moments of being the best team in history and have won the Champions League. We have the team to do it and it would be a bit cowardly of us not to think: this year we are going for the Champions League and say we are only going for the League.”
Balancing Domestic and European Ambitions
Despite the focus on Europe, Yamal hasn’t lost sight of La Liga. He believes they can claim a third consecutive league title under Flick’s guidance.
“In fact, we are going for the League, we can win the League and the Champions League, we have to be a team that can stick together during those bad 20 minutes,” he said, highlighting how crucial maintaining focus during tough moments can be for a team's chances.
