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Young Barca Earn Respect But Crave Trophies After Inter Heartbreak

Young Barca Earn Respect But Crave Trophies After Inter Heartbreak

Hansi Flick's brilliant young Barcelona side won hearts in this season's Champions League and re-established themselves at Europe's top table, but fell agonisingly short of reaching the Munich final after one of the competition's greatest semi-finals.
Dusting themselves down from their painful elimination at the hands of Inter Milan on Tuesday, Barca will take pride in knowing the club are closer than ever to ending their decade-long drought in the continent's premier competition.
Barcelona lost 4-3 in extra-time in Milan, with the Italians progressing 7-6 on aggregate after a thrilling rollercoaster of a match in which they threw away a 2-0 lead.
For the first time since 2019 the Catalans made the final four, but they were dreaming of more -- a first Champions League trophy since 2015 and a potential quadruple.
"The players deserve respect, but we are playing to win trophies," said Flick, not content with merely restoring Barcelona's status among the elite.
With the wizardry of Lamine Yamal, the goals of Raphinha and brains of Pedri, pulling strings in midfield, Barcelona have enough to end their wait for the trophy in the post-Lionel Messi era.
An inspired Yann Sommer, a shaky Barca defence missing injured regulars Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde, and Inter's experience ensured they did not.
"Of course (something special) has started, but we're not at the end -- we had a really huge defeat now," said Flick.
"We're not satisfied about that but it's normal. We have to stand up, this is the message I want to give.
"We have to fight until the end of the season -- and for next season."
Barcelona were two minutes away from booking their flights to Munich, leading 3-2 on the night at the San Siro in the pouring rain, but Francesco Acerbi's 93rd minute strike forced extra-time before Davide Frattesi won it for the hosts.
Arguably the best player in both legs of the tie was 17-year-old Spain star Yamal, but he showed his inexperience in stoppage time before Acerbi struck.
Rampaging down the right, yet again, Yamal crashed a shot against the post when he might have headed for the corner flag.
In the first-half 18-year-old Pau Cubarsi, another graduate of Barcelona's La Masia academy, conceded a penalty with a risky challenge on Lautaro Martinez.
"We have a young team and we will improve of course," Flick told reporters.
"This is our job, to make this team better and better."
Despite the mistakes they made, Barca's elimination was a far cry from the humiliations they have suffered in recent years -- against Roma, Liverpool and Bayern most notably between 2018-2020, or dropping into the Europa League after that.
"We've given everything, this year it wasn't to be, but we'll be back, don't have any doubt," Yamal wrote on Instagram.
"We won't stop until we leave this club where it deserves, on the highest rung.
"I will fulfil my promise and bring (the Champions League) to Barcelona, we won't stop until we get it."
Flick's side must pick themselves up quickly because on Sunday they face arch-rivals Real Madrid in a clash which could go a long way to deciding the fate of La Liga.
The Catalans lead the reigning champions by four points with four matches remaining and want to add the league title to their Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup triumphs.
Real Madrid are fresh after their win over Celta last Sunday, while Barca played 120 draining minutes against Inter and leave Italy with their hearts broken.
"I think the team today, when they look in the mirror, when they arrive at home at three or four o'clock in the night, or in the morning, I think then they can be very proud," said Flick.
"(This defeat) must wake up the hunger to win the title, this is important for me."
Barcelona's players did their best to put on a brave face.
"We've gone beyond expectations, we're Barca, there are no transition years, we have to win all the trophies we can," Eric Garcia told Movistar.
"Today we couldn't do it, but the team comes out strengthened."
Madrid's impending visit to the Olympic Stadium will be a quick test of that.

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PSG and Qatar finally reach Champions League summit – DW – 06/01/2025
PSG and Qatar finally reach Champions League summit – DW – 06/01/2025

DW

time31-05-2025

  • DW

PSG and Qatar finally reach Champions League summit – DW – 06/01/2025

When Qatar bought Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, it looked like they would quickly spend their way to the top. They've shed stars for a likeable young side, but it's hard to see this as a win for football. This was a night of firsts. A first Champions League for Paris Saint-Germain. The first time a final has been won by five goals. And a first European trophy for Qatar. "Everyone doubted us," said Qatari club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after the match. " A lot of people didn't have faith in our project. Today we've proved it. Honestly, I can't believe it, we won 5-0. It's a dream, As PSG coach Luis Enrique and his players bounced joyfully on the Munich pitch before lifting up Al-Khelaifi after a stylish 5-0 dismantling of Inter on Saturday night, Qatar Airways advertising provided both backdrop and a further reminder of the engine of their success. After 14 years of near misses, implosions and the departures of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and the rest of the big names, Qatari Sports Investments, which is operated by the Qatari government, had finally got the statement win it craved. Given that Inter warmed up with Qatar Airways emblazoned on their training kit too, perhaps they couldn't really lose. That Qatar Airways branding is a familiar sight in Munich, with Bayern Munich — who usually play their home matches at this stadium — wearing the logo on their sleeves until the deal ended in 2023, following intense pressure from fans about the country's human rights record. Qatar and Bayern Munich parted, but why? Michael Ott led fan pressure at the time and told DW that football higher-ups will not be forced to cut their ties with countries with questionable human rights records. "It was a deception. 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As well as being president of PSG, the 51-year-old former tennis player is chairman of the European Clubs Association — which represents the interests of 700 European clubs — is on the executive committee of UEFA — which organizes European football including the Champions League — and on the organizing committee for the upcoming FIFA World Club Cup. He is also a minister without portfolio in the Qatari government and chairman of state-owned broadcaster BeIn Sports, which has bought the rights to the Champions League. Bayern's fans, and German fans in general, tend to object to state ownership of clubs that were once community assets and made the point when PSG visited Munich last November. They raised a huge banner of Al-Khelaifi with a red line through it. The same image was stuck to escalators, walls and benches across the city on Saturday. Paris welcomes Al-Khelaifi Paris, however, seems largely to have welcomed Qatar and Al-Khelaifi. Ott, who now lives in France, said the attitude of PSG fans is "a stark contrast to Germany." "Of course, they have been speaking about human rights problems before the [2022 Qatar] World Cup, but way less than in Germany, and when I speak to the French, most of them care way less than the Germans about this topic," he said. "It has taken longer than we imagined but we have won the Champions League," PSG fan Sebastian told DW shortly after the match. "The players were so good tonight but of course we needed the money from the owners to get here. They have been great for us. This is just about football." As the big screen camera panned to Al-Khelaifi just before the trophy was presented, the crowd greeted him with warm applause. The Qatari reciprocated then took his place in the lineup of dignitaries, hugging each player as they collected their medals. 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