Hansi Flick acknowledges the risk with a key Barcelona player in the Copa del Rey

Coach Hansi Flick spoke after Barcelona was eliminated in the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid in the early hours of March 4 (Vietnam time).

Despite achieving a 3-0 victory in the second leg, Barcelona still could not reach the final as Atletico advanced with a 4-3 aggregate score and will face Athletic Club or Real Sociedad. Flick expressed disappointment with the result, but he was proud of his players' performance throughout the 90 minutes.

He shared: “We played courageously and I am very proud. It was an excellent match. We were just one goal short, but the whole team played very, very well. Looking at Bernal, Cubarsí, Gerard… these young players at this level… they gave everything for the club. Still, we are disappointed not to have scored the fourth goal.”

“All the players understood how to play. Everyone performed excellently. Bernal scored two goals, Cubarsí also played outstandingly. That is the spirit I want. They have the potential to become among the best in the world. I truly enjoy watching them play.”

Flick also mentioned Pedri, who continued to deliver a standout performance. In the second half, the German strategist was seen questioning whether the midfielder wanted to be substituted, but Pedri decided to continue. The Barcelona coach explained: “We needed Pedri on the field. I am glad he was not injured, because playing him for the full 90 minutes was a risk.”

However, Flick lost Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde due to fitness issues in this match, which left him dissatisfied. He added: “We have two more injury cases and I am not happy about that. We need to talk. Because with Frenkie, we now have three injured players. We must discuss with the medical staff, with the coaching team, to prevent having three players injured in just one week.”

After the Copa del Rey match, the Blaugrana will turn their attention to an away fixture against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. Barcelona currently leads the table with 64 points, 4 points ahead of Real Madrid, and is determined to maintain this advantage as the season enters its decisive phase.