The defending champions get moving

As the reigning champions and the most decorated club in the competition, FC Barcelona kicked off January 6 with the pre-semifinal day of the Supercopa de España, where, just like last year, they will face Athletic Club.

Lamine and Gavi scored the goals against the Basque side in 2025 (0-2).

The facilities at Alinma Stadium — which will host tomorrow’s match at 8:00 p.m. CET — hosted the official press conference with Hansi Flick and Joan Garcia, followed by the team’s training session.

From the Saudi stadium, a place that holds fond memories for the German coach after winning his first trophy with Barça there, Flick highlighted the tournament’s difficulty, calling it “special” and “without favorites,” as it brings together four of the country’s top teams. He added that the Supercopa gave the squad “huge energy” last season, something they aim to repeat:
"It’s two games. At a club like this, we always want to win titles for ourselves and our fans."

Meanwhile, the goalkeeper from Sallent de Llobregat emphasized the squad’s motivation, “full of confidence” after recent results, to face Athletic — a team “intense and with clear ideas that will set a fast pace in the match.” His excitement is total:
"The welcome in Jeddah has been amazing. Everyone’s eager to play here. And I am too. It’s my first chance to win a title as Barça’s goalkeeper."

During the training session, the squad worked for approximately 50 minutes on the adjacent pitch of the impressive stadium, fine-tuning their preparation for the challenging clash against Ernesto Valverde’s team, whom they have faced seven times in the Supercopa de España.

OFFICIAL PRESS CONFERENCE