JAKARTA - Barcelona won the La Liga title on Friday, May 16, 2025, with a 2-0 win over city rivals Espanyol to close a brilliant season during Hansi Flick's first season as coach.
Real Madrid did beat Mallorca 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu the day before to cut Barcelona's lead to four points.
However, the win for Flick's side put them seven points ahead with two games remaining to ensure the title.
The German coach saw the team with a family atmosphere as a factor in winning the La Liga title, even domestic trebles this season.
Before confirming the La Liga trophy, Barcelona had won the Spanish Super Cup (Supercoppa Espana) and the Copa del Rey.
"The family we have here, for me, is the most important thing. You feel like family."
"Everyone at this club has their own job and is doing well."
"Everyone knows how important they are to this club, to their team, of course the players, the atmosphere in the dressing room. I've never experienced this before," Flick said after the game.
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After the first half goalless, Lamine Yamal opened the scoring shortly after a break with another amazing goal.
He broke through the right flank and fired a typical left-footed shot that shot into the top corner of the net to put Barcelona ahead.
Apparently, the beautiful goal did not surprise his teammates. Pedri, for example, said that Yamal always trained him every time he practiced or memorized.
"Lamine's goal is a movement he often trains. He has scored two goals today in the warm-up in the same way."
"We have to keep him and let him enjoy it, he's fantastic. You don't win the league every day. So now we need to enjoy it and celebrate this trophy."
"It was one of the most complicated titles. We were happy with the year we've been through."
"We enjoyed it and so did the supporters," said his teammate, Pedri, after the match.
Shortly thereafter, Leandro Cabrera was expelled for elbowing Yamal's stomach, making Espanyol play with 10 players until the end of the match.
Barcelona then added a second goal at the end of the game to seal the win.
The match was delayed briefly before kick-off when a car hit a crowd of hosts outside the stadium.
Police said it was the result of an accident and more than a dozen supporters were injured even though nothing serious.
Meanwhile, Flick replaced Xavi Hernandez last summer after a trophyless season.
The 60-year-old coach has led Barcelona to victory at El Clasico, sweeping four meetings with wins.
Two encounters occurred in the Spanish Super Cup final and the Copa del Rey final. The Blaugrana crushed Real Madrid with a striking score, namely 5-2 and 3-2.
Then, two clashes in La Liga also show how inferior Real Madrid is in front of Barcelona this season with a 0-4 and 3-4 defeat.
"You can do it. I appreciate that we are a team. We work hard and everyone gives the best for the club."
"This is our job. We want the fans to be proud of the team. It's time to celebrate."
"Next season? I didn't do that. We had a long break. We analyzed everything afterwards. Five, six weeks, for some players. That's good."
"I think we played a lot of games very well. The match against Real Madrid, it was incredible. Four games against Real Madrid, it was great," Flick said when asked if this title beat another title.
Apart from Barcelona's slick skill, Flick also remembers Carles Minarro, the first team doctor who died suddenly in March 2025 before the match.
"Carles is now here. He (will) be very proud of our team, what we've seen in the last few months, so we've always thought about it."
"We don't forget it because it is an important part of our team and will always have a place in our hearts," Flick said, pointing to the ceiling.
This is the second time in three years Barcelona have won La Liga and 28th in club history, second after Real Madrid won 36 times.
However, there was disappointment in the Champions League, when Barcelona were eliminated in the semifinals against Inter Milan.
However, it is arguably their trip in the Champions League this season is the best campaign since 2019.
Meanwhile, Flick was appointed last season with the task of turning a relatively young squad into a team capable of competing for trophies.
He immediately performed brilliantly when Barcelona won 11 of their opening 12 league games, including a 4-0 away win at Real Madrid headquarters in October 2024.
However, after building a six-point lead at the top of the table, Barcelona's performance declined in November and December 2024 when they lost four in seven matches.
The poor performance left them behind Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the standings, with Carlo Ancelotti's side seven points ahead of them at one point in January 2025.
Luckily, Flick's side bounced back, and remained unbeaten in the league in 2025. They not only chased Real Madrid but also beat them again at the top of the table.
A 4-3 win in the El Clasico match Sunday, May 11, 2025 - their fourth win against Los Blancos this season - gave them a seven-point lead with only three games remaining.
This season was marked by Flick's decision to play a high defensive line, press non-stop, and play attacking without caring about the score.
It resulted in some incredible games, with Barcelona scoring four or more goals in 13 La Liga games to date, including two against Real Madrid and away at Atletico Madrid.
Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski all looked stunning in attack, while keeping Pedri fit in midfield also helped the team appear consistent.
Barcelona will hold a parade to showcase the three domestic trophies they have won this season.
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