Barcelona: Van Bronckhorst bows to Barça and heaps praise on Lamine Yamal

09.09.26 FT Champions League

Barcelona

5

:

Feyenoord

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After Feyenoord’s heavy defeat at Camp Nou, Giovanni van Bronckhorst acknowledged Barcelona’s superiority and lavished praise on Lamine Yamal.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst offered no excuses after Feyenoord’s defeat against Barcelona on Wednesday night. In their opening game of the Champions League campaign, the Dutch side were beaten 5-1 at Camp Nou. Raphinha scored twice, in the 3rd and 57th minutes, while Karim Adeyemi (22), Lamine Yamal (77) and Gabriel Jesus (85) also found the net. Sem Steijn scored Feyenoord’s consolation goal in the 82nd minute.

“If you look at the way they play, Barça are currently the best team in the world,” Van Bronckhorst said after the match. The former Barcelona player admitted that his side’s mistakes were punished immediately by an opponent operating at a higher level. He also believes the Catalans have what it takes to go all the way: “Barça can win this Champions League.”

Lamine Yamal compared to Messi and Ronaldinho

Van Bronckhorst was even more complimentary when discussing Lamine Yamal. The Spain international contributed one goal and two assists and was once again one of the key figures in Barcelona’s emphatic win over Feyenoord. After Raphinha was substituted, Yamal took the captain’s armband and, at 19 years and 58 days old, became the youngest captain in Barcelona history.

“At his age, he has already won everything. The fans love him. He can win the Ballon d’Or. I compare him to Messi and Ronaldinho. He can win it. The question is when,” the Dutch coach said. The comments come just weeks before the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, with Yamal among the leading contenders.

Feyenoord must turn the page quickly

The defeat ended a positive run for Feyenoord, who had beaten NEC Nijmegen 3-1 in the Eredivisie before travelling to Barcelona. The Rotterdam side currently sit third in the Dutch league with 11 points from five matches, having recorded three wins and two draws.

Van Bronckhorst’s men will have little time to dwell on the result. Feyenoord travel to PEC Zwolle on Sunday, September 13 at 16:45, before hosting FC Utrecht on September 20 at 12:15. After the international break, they welcome AZ Alkmaar on October 10 at 18:45 and then return to Champions League action at home to Como on October 14 at 18:45.

Van Bronckhorst knows all about the demands of elite European football. He played for Barcelona between 2003 and 2007 and won the Champions League with the club in 2006. Twenty years after that triumph over Arsenal, his return to Camp Nou as a coach proved considerably less enjoyable.

Read also : Champions League: full schedule for Thursday's matches

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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