Barcelona will face Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey semifinals, but ahead of the tie’s first leg, Hansi Flick had a simple message for those trying to demerit his side’s tournament journey so far with a cheeky jab at bitter Rivals Real Madrid’s recent elimination.
Atlético Madrid will be the first La Liga team Barcelona face in the competition this season, previously beating lower-tier sides Guadalajara, Racing Santander and Albacete to reach the semifinals. When pressed on the matter of Barça’s perceived favorable journey, Flick had a short yet clever response.
“Ask Real Madrid,” Flick said, before giving a minor nod as a noticeable smirk invaded his face.
The German boss alludes to the humbling elimination Real Madrid endured against second-tier side Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 16. As fate would have it, Barcelona then went on to defeat Albacete in the quarterfinal, avenging their bitter rivals.
Flick: Second Division Sides ‘Deserve Respect’
Flick was later told that his clever response was perhaps the first dart he’s ever fired Real Madrid’s way during his Barcelona tenure. The German boss, though, was quick to insist he didn’t mean his answer to come off as an insult.
“It helps me not [to] throw jabs at Real Madrid,” Flick confessed. “It helps you [journalists], but not me or my team, so it’s like that. But I think it was the right answer because we also have to respect the second division, the third division teams in the [Copa del Rey]. And they [Albacete] made a fantastic job, this is why I say this.
“Because, I think, what is easier? I don’t know, because last year we played Barbastro the first [round], then I think it was against Betis and then Valencia. It was the same but it was maybe much easier because the results were much more easy [lopsided] in these games for us than against Albacete or [Racing] Santander.
“For me, it’s the respect for also these teams [lower tier sides]. It’s the [Copa del Rey] and they also qualified for this and they have the quality. They showed it in every game, that they are also able to win against [La Liga] teams.”
Barcelona defeated Real Betis and Valencia by an aggregate score of 10–1 a season ago compared to their 4–1 aggregate against Racing and Albacete this term. Still, they were vastly superior on both instances, and the level of difficulty now reaches it’s peak in the semifinal round.
Hansi Flick Praises Quality of Atlético Madrid
Unbothered by outside perceptions of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey opponents thus far, Flick is also acutely aware of the daunting challenge that stands in Barça’s way of the final.
“I really like what I see from Atlético,” Flick said. “They are a fantastic team, with a clear philosophy, with a lot of players who know how to play with the ball and for every opponent it’s not easy to defend. For us, it will be a tough match
“I saw their cup match against Real Betis and it was impressive. ‘Cholo’ [Diego Simeone] has made a fantastic job in Atlético and this is what I can see.”
Barcelona dispatched Atlético Madrid in the 2024–25 Copa del Rey semifinals 5–4 on aggregate in a thrilling tie.
Still, Flick must work around sensible injury absences for Thursday’s first leg. Barcelona can’t afford digging a hole in their visit to the Metropolitano, or their title defense could suffer a near fatal blow.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Hansi Flick Fires Devastating Three Word Swipe at Real Madrid.
