Barcelona coach Hansi Flick played down his team’s first league defeat since December, as the newly crowned LaLiga champions fell 3-2 at home to Villarreal on Sunday.
Canadian international Tajon Buchanan scored the winning goal in the 80th minute as Villarreal came from 2-1 down to end Barça’s 17-match unbeaten run, qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
The last time Barcelona lost in LaLiga before Sunday was a 2-1 defeat to Atlético de Madrid on December 21.
The match took place just three days after Barça clinched the title with a victory over Espanyol on Thursday, followed by an open-top bus parade on Friday attended by over 600,000 people.
I’m fine with that. Today is time to celebrate. The team, the players, have done an incredible job in the last five months. I always say there are no excuses, but we played on Thursday, celebrated on Thursday night and also on Friday.
Hansi Flick
Ayoze Pérez put Villarreal ahead in the fourth minute at the Olympic Stadium, but Barça reacted to go into halftime winning.
Lamine Yamal’s fourth goal in his last six appearances leveled the score, with another superb left-footed shot from the right, and Fermín López put the team ahead in added time of the first half.
Santi Comesaña restored parity in the 50th minute with a shot over Marc-André ter Stegen, setting the stage for substitute Buchanan to seal the points late in the game.
After the match, Barça received the LaLiga trophy while fireworks filled the sky above the stadium to commemorate the 28 times they have been crowned champions of Spain.
The players then embarked on a lap of honor with the three trophies they have lifted this season – they also won the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey – before their friends and family joined the celebrations on the field.
Flick stated that the message to the fans is that this is only the beginning of the journey, and he added that he is aware that improvements are needed next season and of the responsibility that comes with having set the bar so high.
I saw the happy faces [of the fans in the parade] and also some people crying for the success and the players’ performances. This is something great, but also a responsibility for next year. We have just started our journey. Next season we have to improve many things, but I know we have the potential to do so.
Hansi Flick
The club is already looking towards the summer, with a center-back, a full-back and another winger in sight for when the transfer market opens.
Flick confirmed that he knows where he wants to improve his squad next season, but for now he wants to focus on what the current squad has given him in his first season in charge.
Of course. Deco and I will talk about that. Now is the time to talk and, of course, we take this time. For me, [right now] the most important thing is the team. We have players with incredible strength, Lamine, Pedri, Frenkie, also today when you see Cubarsí, how he plays at 18 years old, Raphinha is at the highest level… many players.
Hansi Flick
Barça still has one match ahead, next Sunday away against Athletic Club, before a long break this summer, as it is not among the teams competing in the Club World Cup in the United States.
