Barça lift the trophy at the end of perfect season
Five and a half months after losing the 2020 EHF FINAL4 final, Barça took their revenge and lifted the Champions League trophy, their ninth in history.
Against Aalborg, it took 10 minutes for Barça to warm up before the machine started rolling, heading towards a record win. For the first time, the winning team have won all their games throughout the season, and finished off with the biggest margin ever for an EHF FINAL4 final.
FINAL
Barça (ESP) vs Aalborg Handbold (DEN) 36:23 (16:11)
- Aalborg took an early lead, but thanks to a 7:0 series in under 10 minutes, Barça were ahead on the scoreboard after 20 minutes
- Aleix Gómez led the way for the Spanish side, scoring five goals in the first half alone, and with a strong defence, Barça were well ahead at the break
- Barça kept their foot to the pedal after the break, with Luka Cindric and Gómez continuing to shine. They took their first 10-goal lead at the 45th minute, when goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas scored in the empty goal
- Gómez netted nine times for Barça while Lukas Sandell scored eight times for Aalborg
- Gonzalo Perez de Vargas was handed the MVP trophy, presented by the City of Cologne
- four players are leaving Barça after this match: Cedric Sorhaindo, Aron Palmarsson, Kevin Møller and Raul Entrerrios, who played the last club game of his career tonight
- coach Xavier Pascual is also leaving, joining Dinamo Bucuresti next season
- this Barça’s ninth Champions League title in history, but their first since 2015
The perfect ending to a perfect season
20 games, 20 wins. This is pure mathematics, but this explains Barça’s season in the Champions League and why the Spanish side rolled through the final today.
Prior to arriving in Cologne, no team had ever been able to win all their games, giving the Blaugranas a well-earned favourite status. And tonight, from the first to the last minute, they lived with it, showing no sign of pressure. It was no surprise that Barça beat Aalborg with the biggest gap in the history of the FINAL4 finals, 13 goals.
For me it is very special to end my career with the trophy. I am very proud of the teamwork, of all the work we put through all the season. We work hard, during all the trainings, all the matches, and we deserve to be here
I’m a bit disappointed right now but in a few days, I will look back at this and be proud. I look forward to coming back next year even stronger, and then we’ll get the big one
