Flick: "Clubs, coaches, and players must respect and protect referees."

Hansi Flick is a man of few controversies, especially 24 hours before his first final as Barcelona manager. The commotion created by Real Madrid regarding the referees and the tears of De Burgos Bengoetxea allowed him to show his more conciliatory side. "It's not fair play to not take care of the referees," the German declared. "The clubs, the coaches, and the players have to respect and protect them. We need them. This is just sport, football. Sometimes there are decisions on the field that bring emotions into play, but after that, you have to put everything behind you," he added.

Flick's focus wasn't on the referees, but rather on stemming the euphoria within the Barça camp following the thrashings in La Liga and the Super Cup final. "That's all in the past. We're playing against one of the best teams in the world, and a final is always different; there are no favorites. Real Madrid have a fantastic team and they can hurt us. We have to respect our opponents and do our homework to play the way we want and fight for this title for the full 90 minutes or however many it takes," warned the German, who didn't offer any details on whether there will be changes at left-back, with Araújo replacing Gerard Martín , but did point to Ferran starting at No. 9: "He's already shown in the Cup matches how well he can play at No. 9. It's a very good position for him."

As a coach, Flick hasn't lost a final, but he's leading a team that many believe will be his first major title with Barça after the Super Cup. Far from pressure, the German sees it as an incentive. "It's the opportunity we looked for when we started the journey at the beginning of the season, and we're going to fight for it. It will be difficult because it's Real Madrid, but when I see the team training, how hard they work, and how focused they are, I believe in them. We have a clear idea of ​​how to play, and you saw it against Mallorca, Celta Vigo... We always fight, and in the final it will be the same," explained the coach, who has two challenges ahead in just a few days: this first title and the Champions League semi-final against Inter. Looking ahead to that match, "playing in a final is always positive for improving and learning."

His situation is, therefore, more comfortable than Carlo Ancelotti 's. "I don't think so. It's the same for both of us. We want to win this final and we're preparing our teams to do so," he admitted.

Lamine's Surprise

One weapon he's counting on is Lamine Yamal , who emerges in this season's decisive matches. "He does it because he's an incredible player," the coach simply said, revealing with a smile that his young star had a surprise in store. "Now you'll be surprised," something that didn't happen because Lamine trained with a cap covering his head. His hairstyle will be a surprise for the final, just as the Barça braces were in the league match at the Bernabéu.

The way these players, newly arrived in the first team, are approaching this final has surprised Ronald Araújo : "Their mentality is incredible. They have an immense calmness because they've been doing this since they were little at La Masia. They surprise me because they're not afraid."

Tomorrow's final could be the first of many, given the growth predicted for this young squad, but the Uruguayan didn't want to look any further than Real Madrid. "Winning a title is always important, and even more so against the biggest rival. But this team's mentality is different. We want to win, but if that doesn't happen, we'll keep going for La Liga and as many titles as possible. We're going to try to win everything, game by game and with humility, although it's true that this team can be scary," he concluded.