Valverde: The season has been damaged by what happened in Europe
Barça could still win the double but Champions League loss still looms large
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde says it's been a "very good" season as the club prepare for their final two games of the campaign, against Eibar in La Liga and Valencia in the Copa del Rey final. However, he admitted the Champions League loss to Liverpool has left a sour taste on the year.
"It's been a very good season," Valverde said. "If you ask me that question 15 days ago, though, the answer would have been that we're having an extraordinary season. Now, it's been damaged by the way we got knocked out of the Champions League."
Valverde, however, pointed out that Barça won the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga "with three games to spare" and still have the chance to win another double. "We got to May with the possibility of winning every trophy possible, but a blow like [Anfield] always knocks you."
EIBAR
The Spanish champions close their league season at Eibar on Sunday. They then have the cup final against Valencia next weekend to the trip to the Basque Country will serve as a chance to test things for the final, with Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele both missing.
"The idea is to stay active," Valverde said. "We don't want to go into the final without any rhythm. My idea is that the eplayers that are going to play in the final play against Eibar."
