Young Barca earn respect but crave trophies after Inter heartbreak
Barcelona's Spanish forward Lamine Yamal was a thorn in Inter Milan's side all night at the San Siro (Marco BERTORELLO)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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."
- 'Beyond expectations' -
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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.
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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."
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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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The referee will also count down from five seconds with their hand to indicate the time remaining. If a keeper holds onto the ball for longer than eight seconds, a corner kick will be awarded to the opposition, rather than an indirect free kick, which was the previous punishment. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer:
