Hansi Flick has stated there is no such thing as a luck to Barcelona success this season however he is aware of it’s trophies that matter as he prepares for Wednesday’s “remaining earlier than the ultimate” towards Atlético Madrid within the Copa del Rey.
Barça and Atlético drew 4-4 within the first leg of their Copa semifinal in February and eventually meet within the return recreation on the Metropolitano this week, with the winners dealing with both Real Madrid or Real Sociedad within the remaining on April 26.
“It is like a remaining earlier than the ultimate,” Barça coach Flick stated in a information convention on Tuesday. “They wish to attain this remaining and it’s the identical with us.
“My staff, the gamers may be proud about what they’re doing. We’re working arduous and what we obtain is just not luck, they earned it. That is the constructive factor. They are often very proud.
“We all know that till now we have now not reached [anything] — OK, we gained the [Spanish] Supercopa, but it surely’s previously — and now we wish to go to the ultimate, but it surely’s not simple.
“Atlético have an incredible coach with [Diego] Simeone, an skilled squad, they understand how they wish to play. You may see within the matches earlier than till the final second they’re there. It will likely be a troublesome match.”
Atlético’s fortunes have been markedly completely different to Barça’s in 2025.
They moved prime of LaLiga once they beat Flick’s aspect in December, whereas they have been nonetheless alive within the Champions League on the time, too.
Nevertheless, since then, they’ve fallen 9 factors behind Barça, who lead LaLiga, and been knocked out of the Champions League by Actual Madrid.
Regardless of the Copa now being Atlético’s greatest probability of silverware this season, Flick, whose Barça staff are unbeaten in 20 video games in 2025 and alive in three competitions nonetheless, doesn’t consider they’ll pose extra of a risk than beforehand.
“Possibly it is the closest title they will win, however’s the identical for us,” he stated. “One win after which in a remaining. Whereas in LaLiga there are a whole lot of matches to play.
“Atlético will play like they usually play, nothing completely different. They’ve their fashion. The depth is at all times excessive, aggressive. That is regular. I really like how they play soccer, additionally with a whole lot of pace of their recreation. I really like their fashion, how they play.”
Flick additionally confirmed Raphinha is “completely prepared” to return to motion after lacking Barça’s wins over Osasuna and Girona following worldwide responsibility with Brazil.
Defender Pau Cubarsí can be “obtainable to play” from the beginning after injuring his ankle with Spain two weeks in the past.
Elsewhere, goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen returned to mild coaching this week.
The Germany worldwide has not featured since September, when a knee damage appeared to have dominated him out for the remainder of the season.
“We are going to see, step-by-step,” Flick stated of Ter Stegen’s probabilities of taking part in once more within the present marketing campaign. “We have now to attend and see what occurs. It is no time to decide or say something about that.
“The excellent news is that he is in a superb second. All the things goes in the suitable course and we’re very pleased he is on this stage. We are going to see what occurs.”
