Barcelona won the first prize of the season on Saturday by beating Athletic Club in the final of the Copa del Rey. In the final battle of the Spanish cup tournament, Ronald Koeman’s team was too strong for the Basques thanks to four goals in the second half. An important moment for the Catalans, who grabbed the Spanish Super Cup in January and are still in the race for the national title. The cup win in Seville is also important for the future of Koeman, the Dutchman himself acknowledged afterwards.
“I am very happy,” emphasized Koeman after winning his first prize as coach of Barcelona. “Because of the way we played and of course also because of the cup. Unfortunately the fans weren’t there, this prize is theirs. We’ve had a tough time this season, but this was a great day and a great night. ” Koeman was asked how he would describe the season. “You start an era with certain ideas and eventually we made some changes to the team. Despite the changes and the young age of many players, we knew we had to compete for the prizes. We now have one and now we are going to compete for the national title. ”
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Ronald Koeman is almost certain of a prize in his first season in Spain ????#ZiggoSport #CopaDelRey #AthleticBarca pic.twitter.com/ienahMQCVv– Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) April 17, 2021
Although Koeman still has a contract for one year and chairman Joan Laporta is purely positive about the Dutchman, there have been doubts about the continuity of the trainer in recent weeks. “Whether the cup win helps me to continue at Barcelona? Every Barcelona coach knows that he depends on the results and the prices. Sometimes that is annoying and not fair because anything can happen in a week. And very quickly. But winning a prize is important to the team and to me too. It was a tough road to get to the final, including overtime. If any club deserved this award, it would be us. The club deserves it. It is a very important prize for the club, in a year of many changes. The group of players always believed in winning a prize. ”
“I like to reflect on the commitment and attitude of my players, especially in the Copa del Rey. We’ve had a hard time in the cup. But we were also hungry and this price has come in. Now we are going for the second ”, Koeman referred to the league title. “I’m very happy. Barcelona is my home. ” The Dutchman kept getting questions about his future. “It is not in my hands, but I still have a contract for one year. It is a year of changes and at the end of a season we look at what you have won. That stings sometimes, it’s a bit of an exaggeration. But as a trainer you are responsible and you have to win prizes. Prices are decisive. But the people of the club see a certain line from day one. Look at the young people who come to play, that is the future. ”
“You have to suffer to win prizes, but everyone knows where we come from and that the end is not yet in sight. In any case, this award proves that we are on the right track. ” Koeman could not say whether this was Messi’s last final in the Barcelona outfit. “Messi always shows it. I don’t know what will happen to his future. Hopefully this was not his last final. Everyone wants him to stay. It’s up to Messi. The chairman said we want him to stay here for years to come. Today he has once again shown that he is the best in the world. He was the leader of a great team. ”