Too early for treble talk says Barcelona boss Flick

MADRID – Barcelona coach Hansi Flick was keen to keep talk of trophies in check, after they booked their spot in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid on April 2.

Barcelona are on a 21-game unbeaten run across all competitions and are the only team in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to lose in 2025 as they bid for three titles.

But Flick remained cautious about their chances of winning the treble and urged his players to maintain a next-game mentality, warning that they have little margin for error.

“I know everyone wants us to talk about the final, it’s a ‘Clasico’, I get that. But I don’t live in the past or in the future and our focus should be (Real) Betis, who are our next opponents in La Liga,” Flick told a press conference.

“Yes, we are in a great moment but I’ve been in this business enough time to know how everything can change in a heartbeat, so we need to keep focused.

“Dreaming is allowed but first we need to work really hard and stay focused, so we can keep that dream alive.”

Following an eight-goal thriller in the semi-final first leg in Barcelona, Ferran Torres’ effort in the 27th minute at the Metropolitano was enough to earn the Catalan side a 5-4 win on aggregate.

Barcelona are top of the La Liga standings with 66 points, three ahead of Real, with third-placed Atletico six further points back with nine games left.

Real will travel to London to face Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals next week, while Barca will host Borussia Dortmund.

They will meet in the Copa del Rey final on April 26, before clashing again in Barcelona on May 11 in a game that