Liverpool debacle still hurts, admits Ernesto Valverde
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has admitted that remembering the Liverpool defeat still hurts and believes that Barcelona would have won the Copa Del Rey had they lost versus Liverpool. The Blaugrana lost the Copa Del Rey final 2-1 to Valencia two weeks after they lost 4-0 to Liverpool.
Barcelona didn't manage to reach the Champions League final last season as they were knocked out in the semi-final by Liverpool, but Ernesto Valverde believes that if the Blaugrana had progressed, they would have gone on to win the Copa del Rey as well. The Copa Del Rey final was played two weeks after the 4-0 humiliation and Valverde believes that the loss in the semi-final had a negative impact on players during the Kings Cup final as well against Valencia. The 55-year-old tactician also admitted that the elimination at the hands of Roma in 2018 also psychologically affected his players at Anfield.
“Until Liverpool, we were having an incredible Champions League. At Anfield, we had chances but they scored early on and psychologically we started worrying that what happened in Rome might happen again. There was a moment of weakness and we paid for it. It was one of the toughest moments of the year. We must admit that the hit we took in Liverpool meant our morale was down going into the Copa [del Rey] final [against Valencia]. If we'd won against Liverpool, we'd have won the Copa [del Rey] final too,” said Valverde to the club website.
The ex-Athletic Bilbao boss also assessed and praised the new signings that joined the club in the summer. Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong, Neto and Junior Firpo joined the club in summer and while Griezmann and de Jong have made it straight to the first team, Neto has played a back up to first choice Marc Andre Ter Stegen with Firpo being back-up to Jordi Alba.
“Antoine Griezmann is not just a goalscorer but also a hard worker. He knows how to drop into midfield, and he knows the moment in which he has to help the full-back. We are very happy with him. Frenkie de Jong covers a lot of ground and he is playing well. However, he still has more to give, especially inside the opponents' box. Neto and Junior are performing as expected. When Junior has come in for Jordi Alba, he has done well, and he is more and more involved. As for Neto, he is always ready to come in [for Marc-Andre ter Stegen] and he is a very competitive player,” concluded the Spaniard.
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