Flick praises Barcelona Copa del Rey effort
Hansi Flick hailed his Barcelona players for leaving everything out on the pitch, though he conceded his side was disappointed after narrowly missing out on the Copa del Rey final.
Atletico Madrid won the first leg 4-0, giving Barcelona a mountain to climb at Camp Nou, but Flick's side gave it its best shot, winning 3-0.
Marc Bernal scored in each half, with Raphinha getting the other goal from a penalty on the stroke of half-time, but the fourth goal that would have taken the tie to extra time eluded the Blaugrana.
Flick said before the match that Barcelona was "going to try to make the impossible possible", and though it fell just short of a superb comeback, he was proud of his team's effort.
"I'm disappointed because we had many chances to score more goals, but we played a great game," Flick said. "I'm proud of my players, but disappointed. They gave their all on the pitch. They were fantastic.
"At the end of the match, it's disappointing not to be in the final, but we have to be proud of what we saw. They did everything they could."
At 18 years and 281 days old, Bernal became the youngest player to score two goals in a single match for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey since at least the 2013-2014 season.
He led the charge for Barcelona, having a game-high five shots, with four of those hitting the target, while he was also responsible for two of its four 'big' chances.
While the holder will not have the chance to defend its trophy in the showpiece, it remains top of LaLiga, with a four-point buffer over Real Madrid, and is through to the Champions League's last 16, where it will face Newcastle United.
Bernal is keen for Barcelona to quickly put this result behind it to continue its push for silverware.
"We're happy with the team's performance on the field but not satisfied because we were unable to reach the final," he said.
"What happened was what we expected. We were one goal short. We were tired at the end; we're left with a bittersweet feeling.
"At the time [of his second goal], I didn't know if I was offside. I'm happy about that part, scoring goals. Now to continue with the league and fight for the Champions League."
