Yamal Says Barcelona Would Be "Cowardly" Not to Believe in Champions League Chances

Lamine Yamal has sent a bold message to his Barcelona teammates, insisting the club cannot shy away from their status as genuine Champions League contenders this season.

Barcelona are chasing their first European title in 12 years, and the young forward believes that ambition should be embraced rather than treated as pressure. Speaking to Movistar+, Yamal said the mindset inside the dressing room is exactly where it should be for a club like Barcelona.

"It's good to be obsessed with the Champions League; it would be very cowardly of us not to believe that we're going to go for it this year," Yamal said.

He welcomed the confidence he sees among his teammates, though he was careful to draw a line between belief and overconfidence.

"I see it as a good thing; it makes me happy that people come into the dressing room thinking we can win it," he said. "I think the problem would be if someone went out and said we're going to win it no matter what, because you can never know that for sure."

Yamal also pointed to Barcelona's history as a reason to aim high.

"At the end of the day, we're Barca, and Barca have had periods where they were the best team in history and have won the Champions League," he said. "We've got the squad to achieve it."

His comments contrast somewhat with the more cautious tone struck recently by midfielder Rodri, who has said Barcelona are not yet the favourites for the competition.

"The Champions League is achievable, but I don't think we're favourites," Rodri said. "It's that final step we need to take to establish ourselves and show Europe what kind of team we are. This team still needs to polish several things to win it."

Rodri, who has Champions League pedigree from his time at Manchester City, said Barcelona need to focus on managing key moments in knockout football rather than relying purely on attacking quality.

"It's a tournament of moments, and understanding those moments," he said, adding that the team needs to become "more consistent and more solid" rather than banking solely on attacking flair.

Barcelona's recent European campaigns have ended in frustrating fashion, and finding the right balance between Yamal's fearless approach and Rodri's more measured outlook could prove important as the season goes on. As Yamal himself put it, the team needs to "act as a team and stick together through those twenty bad minutes" if they are to go all the way in Europe this time.