MADRID — Hours after the death of his father, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick led the Catalan giants to a second straight La Liga title with a Clasico win over rivals Real Madrid and said it was a day he would “never” forget.
Flick’s Barca side earned a 2-0 win over Los Blancos and the coach said he was grateful to his team for their support and commitment.
“I’m proud. I’ll never forget this day. Never. I’m happy about this (triumph) and the atmosphere in this stadium is unbelievable,” Flick said according to AFP.
The German coach said his mother called him in the morning to tell him that his father had died.
“This morning, my mum called me and she said that my father passed away. And so I thought about (whether) I should hide it, or should I speak with my team? Because for me it’s like a family,” explained Flick.
“And I said, okay, I want to get the information to the players. And what they did (then) was unbelievable. I will never forget this moment.
“I’m really happy and really proud about everyone. Every player in the team. My staff around as well, and the club.”
Flick, who was tossed into the air by his players in celebration at fulltime, said he had “never” felt so much love in a stadium as on this day.
The coach said his team were still hoping to match the record of 100 points in a LaLiga season in their final three league matches, and their big goal for next season was to end their 11-year wait for the Champions League.
Spanish media have reported Flick will extend his contract, which expires in 2027, by a year.
“I’m feeling in the right place, at the right time, and I think we all want to continue, and we want to give more for this club,” added Flick.
“I know everyone here and also in Barcelona wants to win the Champions League. We try next season again, and hopefully we can achieve this goal.”
