Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick has revealed that beating Real Madrid to win the Copa del Rey trophy will motivate his players to also defeat Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League.
The Spanish giant are set to take on the Italian champions today in the UCL, and Flick is of the opinion that defeating their arch-rival on Saturday can inspire his boys in Europe.
According to him, while his players were expectedly filled with joy after the victory in the Copa del Rey final, they have since switched focus to the semifinal clash in Spain because everyone at the club knows how important it is to reach the final in Munich.
Flick believes that because Inter Milan is a team filled with some players who are on their last legs, they will give everything at the Olympic stadium to make the best use of what might be their last opportunity in Europe.
“No, what I can see is that everyone is focused on this match, that everyone knows how important it is to be able to go to the Champions League final.
Also this win against Real is very important for the positive vibes, and it could push you also. We know that we have to work hard to reach the final. It’s a dream for everyone to be here, we have to stay focused.
Inter have a team where some players are at an age where maybe it’s the last opportunity to reach a final and they will give 100%,” he said.
The Barca boss revealed that playing an extra 30 minutes vs Real Madrid should not be a problem for his boys since Inter Milan played one day later on Sunday, giving them less recovery time ahead of their clash on Wednesday.
“We’ll see tomorrow, today is not the day to speak about the starting 11, tomorrow we will see what happens and how they recover.
Also, Inter played on Sunday and they have less hours of recovery but it’s a Champions League semi-final and everyone wants to give 100%,” Hansi said.
Flick maintained that he won’t be paying attention to the recent defeats Inter Milan suffered in Italy because the UCL is clearly a big chance for them to win a title this season, and they are just 2 matches away from reaching the final.
“The Champions League is also for Inter a big chance to win a title, they are two matches away from the final, the same as we are.
It doesn’t matter about the matches in the past. I don’t think about that because it’s not my job, I’m focused on my team,” he added.
