Flick grants a rest and Raphinha backs Yamal for the Ballon d'Or
Coach Hansi Flick has announced that FC Barcelona players who have no international commitments will enjoy a nine‑day break, while Brazilian forward Raphinha has expressed his support for the young Spanish Lamine Yamal to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The measure, which will be applied from September 26 to October 4, aims to keep the squad fresh ahead of upcoming commitments.
Celebration and confidence on the pitch
During the LaLiga match between Sevilla FC and FC Barcelona, held on September 19 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium in Seville, Raphinha, wearing shirt number 11, celebrated alongside his teammate Lamine Yamal, number 10, the Catalan team's second goal. The play highlighted the chemistry between the Brazilian forward and the talented Spanish player, reinforcing Raphinha's confidence in the youngster's future.
After the match, Raphinha stated that Yamal deserves football's highest award, arguing that the Spanish player has shown a quality worthy of being crowned the best player on the planet. The statement was disseminated via the AFP agency and illustrated with Getty images.
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Training plan and rest period
Flick has clarified that, although the players will train during the week leading up to the break, the inactivity period will start on September 26 and run until October 4. The goal is to give the footballers who are not called up for their national teams a recovery time without losing physical preparation.
The schedule indicates that, after the break, the team will resume training on October 5, returning to the usual routine before the upcoming league matches and European competitions.
In other club news, Barça captain Raphinha has been quoted by GOAL, while legendary Lionel Messi continues adding goals with Inter Miami, approaching 1,000. Moreover, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has responded to Real Madrid's complaints after their defeat to Atlético Madrid.