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Barcelona manager Hansi Flick struggled between a tone of pride and melancholy following their elimination in the Copa del Rey semi-final at the hands of Atletico Madrid. The Blaugrana looked as if they could make the comeback, going up three goals with 20 minutes to go, but Los Colchoneros held onto a 4-3 aggregate lead to go through to the final.
Flick seemed to echo the thoughts of a lot of Barcelona fans, that while their comeback effort fell short, he was content with the attempt.
“We’re disappointed, but also proud of what we saw. It was an incredible match; we created so many chances. But ultimately, it didn’t happen…”
“After the two defeats we suffered (against Atletico and Girona), we had a long talk with the team in the locker room. I think the team has bounced back. Everyone was fantastic, Bernal was impressive, but also Cubarsi. He had one or two games where he was not [at his best], but there’s a reason for that. He’s a fantastic defender, one of the best centre-backs in the world. With the ball, how he showed it today, it was amazing.”
‘We left everything out there’ – Flick
Image via Alejandro García / EFE
On the final whistle, all but two of Barcelona’s players collapsed to the floor in a mixture of despair and exhaustion. Already Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde have sustained costly injuries.
“Step by step. There’s a long road ahead. In La Liga and the Champions League. We have to focus on what’s next, which is Bilbao and Newcastle, two very strong teams. It’s about recovery. The quality we can see it is there. I can say that I’m proud of my players.”
“I think we had a lot of chances to score the fourth or the fifth goal, we are disappointed, maybe also the fans, but I think we can also be proud of our performance. We left everything out there on the pitch, and this is what I want to see.”
Flick: We have to show this level in every match
Atletico managed just two shots on target all game, and it was arguably Barcelona’s most impressive defensive showing in many months. Flick challenged his side to do it every week.
“Of course. We have to show this level in every match because we’re capable of it. But it’s hard work. As I said before, now we have to recover, stay focused. Recover, eat well, concentrate on training…”
Meanwhile there was also a return for the singing section for the first time in 18 months, after the club banned the fans over a dispute regarding a UEFA fine. Flick was asked if he wanted them to remain going forward.
“The welcome to the stadium was spectacular. The team was motivated. It’s the best thing we can do, to build good relationships with the people so that the players can win titles.”
Barcelona travel to Bilbao next to face Athletic Club at San Mames at 21:00 CEST.