Following Barcelona’s quarter-final heartbreak against Atletico Madrid, second-leg MVP Dani Olmo admitted the Catalan giants are still a work in progress but backed the club’s “successful project” to deliver future silverware.
Dani Olmo has issued a stark reality check following FC Barcelona’s Champions League exit, stressing that the team “must do much more” to compete at the highest level. Speaking after their quarter-final defeat to Atletico Madrid, the midfielder warned that “nothing will be handed to us” and suggested that opponents will look to “take it away from us” if they don’t step up.
“We are far from satisfied; we were desperate to progress, but we have to recognise that we must do much more. At this level, nothing will be handed to us. We are a young squad, and while this hurts, the experience will serve us well in the years to come. We will undoubtedly learn from this, regroup, and keep moving forward,” he declared.
Dani Olmo was quick to credit Atletico Madrid’s performance, noting that they “understood how to hurt us.” He explained: “We were slightly late with our press, leaving space centrally which they exploited. We created chances to score, but it wasn’t enough. There were contentious moments, including the penalty appeal and a possible red card… I felt Kounde was goal-side and could have got to the ball. But that’s no excuse; we must continue to improve,” he affirmed.
“We have to persevere. We’ve exited competitions in a similar fashion for two years running now, and we must keep pushing. Our vision remains clear; this is a successful project. We have already shown we can clinch titles and bring joy to our fans. That remains our sole focus,” he asserted.