Fc Barcelona are the copa del rey Champions for the 29th time after beating Alaves 3-1 in the final at Vicente Calderon in Madrid last night. This was not one of the best seasons for the club but the Spanish Cup has brought joy to Barcelona’s millions of supporters worldwide as the club ends the season with a title that many consider a redemption.
Another magical performance by Messi
The Argentine superstar, Lionel Messi’s performance was once again the catalyst that led FC Barcelona to its 29th Copa del Rey. Messi scored the first goal, his 54th in the season, and actively participated in the other two goals by Neymar and Alcacer.
All three goals were scored in the familiar tiki-taka way!
However, it was not only Messi who performed at the highest level. Andres Iniesta seems to have kept the best for last. Iniesta was plagued by injuries during the season that kept him off the field for the majority of the season. His great performance in the Copa del Rey final has once again proven that he is still a very valuable asset for the Catalan club.
The end of an era
This was the last game with Luis Enrique as the coach of Barca. He managed to leave the club with a title which is very important for both him and Barca. Even though this was undoubtedly a Bad Season for Barca, Luis Enrique should not be judged for this season alone, but for his overall accomplishments at the Catalan club because they include a Champions League title, a Clubs’ World Cup, and several Spanish titles.
The final of Copa del Rey was also the last official game played at Vicente Calderon, Athletico Madrid’s stadium. Vicente Calderon is a very historic stadium and it is an honor for Barca to have won a title during the last official game there.
This was also a historic game for Alaves as it was their first appearance in a Copa del Rey final after almost 100.
They did their best and had prepared well for the game but in the end, they were subdued by FC Barcelona’s superiority.
A bad season
It is strange to say that a season that ends with a title is a bad one but for FC Barcelona the primary goals are always the Champions League and the La Liga titles. La Liga was lost to their arch-rivals Real Madrid mainly because of unstable performances.
However, it has to be noted that the Copa del Rey does carry a lot of prestige in Spain and the fact that Barca won it for the third time in a row cannot be just brushed aside as simply a satisfactory ending to a bad season. Spanish football has become very competitive and any title is a great success. Many of the players we watched playing yesterday for Barca will not be there next season as the club is in progress of freshening up its roster. Supporters all over the world are very anxious to see the new Barca next season.
