Raphinha hails Yamal’s ‘golden feet’ after Barcelona secure La Liga title | OneFootball

Barcelona confirmed their La Liga win at local rivals Espanyol thanks to a goal apiece from academy graduates Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez.

The victory confirms a domestic double for the Catalan club, who already have their hands on the Copa del Rey following a win against perennial rivals Real Madrid, who languish seven points behind Barcelona in La Liga with two games left to play.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said: “The players, the atmosphere in the dressing room. This is so great. I never had this before, it’s really fantastic to see this.

“Everyone takes care of each other, and it’s really good to see. So this is maybe in a small sentence, I think it’s unique.”

Yamal, who scored the first goal in exceptional fashion, once again garnered attention following another standout performance.

Club captain Raphinha said: “We didn’t have many clear chances but we have a kid in there who sometimes pulls something out of the golden feet he has and he gave us peace of mind to stay in the game more calmly.”

“In January some people were saying we would fight to be third. We have confidence in ourselves. That’s the key. We trust in the work and in what we know we can do.”

Flick however, reminded Yamal that he still has a lot of work ahead: “He’s a really clever player, he’s 17 years old now and really measured about a lot of things.

“Of course, you can see in every training, he has some special moments, and when you see this, it’s unbelievable and good to see this.

“But at the end, I think also he has potential to improve and he has to do that. He has to train, to work hard the same like the other players.”

The title, Barcelona’s 28th, was similar to their last (22/23) in that it was also confirmed at Espanyol. Different to that occasion though was the on-pitch celebrations.

Unlike the previous occasion, Barcelona were quick to leave the pitch and celebrate in private. Flick said: “On the pitch, it was clear that we cannot celebrate there. It’s normal, I think, was it two years ago? I don’t want to have this, so it’s all about the respect for the fans here.”

“Of course, we celebrate in the dressing room, it was great, fantastic. All the players can do that. And of course, tomorrow, I think I will stand a little bit in the back and we’ll see what happens. I think I also will enjoy it.”