Hansi Flick is excited about Barça's treble: "Dreaming is allowed"

The FC Barcelona took a key step in their aspirations for the treble after qualifying for the Copa del Rey final after defeating Atlético de Madrid again at the Metropolitano (0-1). After the match, Hansi Flick spoke to the media in a press conference and, in addition to valuing his team's victory, he dared to talk for the first time about the possibility of achieving the treble this season.

"Dreaming is fine, dreaming is allowed, but we have to stay focused, keep our concentration, and work hard, and we will do that. It's not easy, because tomorrow we will arrive at three or four in the morning, and we won't have much chance to rest, the players will go home, they won't sleep much, and then we have to train again," the German began saying regarding Barça's great dream.

"Dreaming is fine, dreaming is allowed, but we have to stay focused, keep our concentration, and work hard, and we will do that"

"We have to recover and then we have to see what is possible to do against Betis. That's the norm for the coming weeks, it's our job," added the German, who, aside from the excitement of being on track to become champions of everything, maintains caution and focus as this decisive stage of the season approaches.

Regarding the notable improvement of the team after a very complicated end to 2024, the coach stated that "I always think positively. What I have to say is that after the break, we have improved a lot. In every match and in every training session, you can see that the team believes in our style, in how we want to play. And, of course, I think the match against Atlético before the [Christmas] break was a good turning point".

Flick's analysis of the victory against Atlético

Regarding the second consecutive victory against Atlético de Madrid at the Metropolitano, the German maintained that "I told the team, and I think I also told you in the press conference after that, that I was very happy with how we played. We were in fantastic form and at this moment, it is still so. And I am very happy, I appreciate it because we played very bravely in the first half".

"In the second half, we suffered a bit with their attack, but all the defenders did a good job. So that's fine. It's not easy to keep a clean sheet and win here because I believe Atlético is one of the best teams, not just in Spain, but also in Europe. And we are happy about that," he added.

Flick emphasized the good defensive work of the team, commenting that "you can see how Atlético is usually strong when they are on the wing and have the opportunity to cross. They are very dangerous players, with forwards inside, but we defended well. And I think that is also part of the game, part of a match, that you have to defend, and we did it great".

"I think the last four, but also the midfielders and forwards are included in the defense. I think with Eric [García] we have a bit more stability in defense and that is what we needed in the second half. Moreover, today Frenkie [De Jong] and Pedri played a fantastic match, they were very brave with the ball, maintaining possession and that was really good," he added.

The importance of his staff and Eric García's present

The coach highlighted the importance of his coaching staff and the players in the success he has had in the Catalan capital. "I have a good team around me and, of course, I have good players, very professional. I think the club can be very proud of them and I believe the fans are also proud of how the team played tonight and reached the final. It's fantastic," he stated.

"This is always about the team. And the team is not just 11 players, but also those on the bench. What I appreciate is that every player who has come on has given their best, and that is how we want to play. So everyone is there, everyone does their job very well, and that is how a successful team works. And that is very important," he emphasized.

Regarding Eric García's impact in this second half of the season, the German stated that "I told Eric after the winter break, because I know he could have an offer from another club: 'Hey, I want you to stay here. You will have the opportunity to play at 100% and for me, you are in a different position, you can play.'"

"That is why you can see from the last month how he has done; great, really. As I said, he is a great person in addition to being a professional player, and that is what I want," he added.

The Clásico in the Copa del Rey final

Finally, regarding a new Clásico in the Copa del Rey final and the possibility of avenging Real Madrid after their victories in 2011 and 2014, Flick stated emphatically that "I don't live in the past, I live here and now, so I would also like to say that I don't live in the future. That is why I don't think about the final. If someone wants to ask me about the final or how I feel, I will say that the next match is against Betis."

"I don't think about the final. If someone wants to ask me about the final or how I feel, I will say that the next match is against Betis"

"It's a good moment, but I have experience in this and I know how quickly things can change. So it's good to stay focused, it's really good to stay focused. As I said before, dreaming is allowed, but we will work very hard and stay focused because it is a great dream for us to win titles, but I believe the club has a lot of room for more titles," he concluded.