Barcelona coach, Hansi Flick, emphasized that his team will only be judged by the trophies they win this season, regardless of how entertaining their football game has been. The Catalan giants are striving to win four titles or quadruple, after securing the Spanish Super Cup in January. The performance of Barca has been more captivating compared to previous seasons.
“I think my team, the players, can be very proud of what they have achieved,” said Flick as quoted from Barcelona’s official website on Tuesday. “In my opinion, the team has developed a lot, which is what I often tell them, I appreciate our progress so far.”
However, Flick acknowledged that in football, what matters in the end is your position and the titles you win, if possible. Barcelona is set to face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday. They are currently leading the Champions League table and have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Barca has scored four goals or more in 20 out of 45 matches they have played in all competitions this season. They drew 4-4 with Atletico in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final in February.
Flick also mentioned that Raphinha and Pau Cubarsi are fit to play after being rested in the Spanish League match against Girona. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has returned to training this week after a long absence due to knee surgery, but he may still need time to compete with Wojciech Szczesny for the main goalkeeper position.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone stated that a potential loss to Barcelona should not be seen as a failure. Rojiblancos have eliminated Real Madrid from the Champions League and are nine points behind Barca in the La Liga standings. Hence, the Copa del Rey remains the only realistic trophy to be won this season.
“Failure is for those who do not try, but for those who try, they do not fail. For me, this is a very good season, as we are in the Copa del Rey semi-final,” said Simeone.
Overall, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are gearing up for an exciting semi-final clash in the quest for silverware this season.
