Sport
Flick Praises Inter Milan Despite Barcelona’s Heartbreaking Loss
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick reflected on his team’s narrow 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Tuesday, offering insight into why they came up short.
Inter Milan took a 2-0 lead by halftime with goals from Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu. Barcelona responded strongly in the second half, with Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo scoring to level the match, before Raphinha gave the visitors a 3-2 lead. But Inter quickly equalized through Francesco Acerbi, sending the game into extra time. In the first half of extra time, Davide Fratessi found the net to secure Inter’s spot in the final.
In his post-match interview, Flick expressed his disappointment at being eliminated but praised his team’s effort. He acknowledged that Inter Milan had defended well and had a dangerous striker in Martinez.
“I’m very disappointed that we’re out, but I’m not disappointed with my team’s performance. They gave everything,” said Flick. “We’re out this year, but we’ll come back stronger next season, and we’ll make our fans and the club proud.” Flick also gave credit to Inter Milan, calling them a solid team with strong defensive qualities and a top-class forward in Martinez.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is not at risk of being sacked despite their 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final on Wednesday. Sky Sports reports that the club still sees Amorim as a key part of their long-term plans.
Even though United missed out on an automatic Champions League spot, the defeat won’t affect their faith in the 40-year-old coach. After the match in Bilbao, Amorim said he would step down immediately without asking for compensation if both the club’s board and fans no longer supported him.
Amorim took over from Erik ten Hag in November when United were 13th in the league. Since then, the team has slipped three more places, hovering just above the relegation zone. They have also been knocked out of all three cup competitions this season.
Lionel Messi has revealed the goal he holds dearest out of the hundreds he’s scored in his legendary career. The Inter Miami forward, now 38, picked his header against Manchester United in the 2009 UEFA Champions League final as his personal favorite.
Messi, who has found the net over 800 times while playing for Argentina, Barcelona, PSG, and now Inter Miami, said that despite scoring more beautiful and important goals, the one in Rome stands out for him. “That header in the Champions League final has always been my favorite,” he said.
The goal, which came as Barcelona’s second in their 2-0 win over United, saw a much shorter Messi rise above Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to beat goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. The moment not only sealed a memorable win for Barça but also helped Messi secure his first Champions League trophy with the Spanish giants. It’s now considered one of the most unforgettable goals in the tournament’s history.
Ademola Lookman is expected to play his last match for Atalanta this Sunday. The Italian club will face Parma in their final game of the 2024/25 season at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. Reports from Gazzetta dello Sport say Atalanta are open to offers for the Nigerian winger, who joined the team from RB Leipzig in 2022.
The club is said to be willing to sell Lookman for around €40 million. This season, Lookman has been impressive, scoring 20 goals and assisting seven times in 39 appearances across all competitions.
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