FC Barcelona is already in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey 2025/26 after eliminating Racing de Santander (0-2). In the post-match press conference, Hansi Flick assessed the performance of his players, especially Joan García. The Catalan goalkeeper was once again a starter and a key figure in the azulgrana team's eleventh consecutive victory.

García made three saves, one of them against Manex Lozano in the fourth minute of added time, with the score still 0-1 after Ferran Torres' goal in the 66th minute. The goalkeeper was solid in the one-on-one, confidently clearing the close-range shot from the Cantabrian forward.

Just after, Lamine Yamal sealed the Catalan triumph with a goal in the final action of the match. Regarding Joan's work, Flick highlighted the importance of having the '13' in a match that, as expected, was extremely tough from start to finish at El Sardinero.

"Joan played because we decided it and it was a good decision after seeing the match. We'll see in the next Copa del Rey matches, I haven't decided yet. It's possible he'll play them all, it will depend on whether he's tired...", the German coach argued about the debate in goal

'Dart' for Real Madrid after their Copa del Rey elimination

Likewise, the Barça coach highlighted Racing's performance. The leader of the Second Division made them fight for the win and was close to forcing the extra time on their home turf.

"I liked how they defended. They defended with everything they had. We saw their football. They press high. They did a good job," he said about the Cantabrian team. In that regard, he stressed that the Cup is a fantastic tournament, where lower-tier rivals approach each knockout round "bravely."

Likewise, Flick was asked about Real Madrid's elimination, the only LaLiga team that could not advance past the round of 16. As usual, the German avoided controversy or accusations, but he left a subtle jab about the importance of taking the Cup seriously.

"It's important to know that in the Cup, you don't win because of your name, you win because of your attitude"

Regarding the performance of his players at El Sardinero, he added: "We played a serious game. The mentality was correct. We did very well". Barça, with the German on the bench, has overcome all their ties (7) in the tournament.

Praise for Fermín López

On the other hand, Hansi Flick also highlighted Fermín López's contribution. The player from Huelva replaced Marc Bernal in the 58th minute and, eight minutes later, provided the assist that allowed Ferran Torres to open the scoring.

"Fermín is special. Not all players are like him, I like his attitude, his dynamism... He changes the dynamics of the game with his dynamism, with his passing... He also scores. He's always in the right position. He's a very good player for us," he pointed out.

"We're still in the Cup. We've kept another clean sheet and advanced to the next round. That's the most important thing"