Leo Messi: It's always nice to lift a trophy and especially as captain

Barcelona won the Copa del Rey on Saturday, beating Athletic Club 4-0 in the final with Lionel Messi scoring twice before speaking to the club's in-house TV channel.

"It was a really difficult Copa to win," he said. "We had to suffer in a lot of the games. It's always nice to win a trophy. I am really happy for this group of players because they deserved some happiness. I

"t's really special to be the captain of this club, where I have spent my whole life, and it's a really special Copa (to win). It's a very special Copa for me, to be able to lift it."  

Asked about the game, Messi said: "We knew Athletic play the same way, 4-4-2, quick on the counter... We had to have patience with the ball and in the second half, when Atletico dipped, we stepped up another gear and the goals arrived." 

He also commented on the disappointment of playing without fans: "It's really strange to win a title and not be able to celebrate it with the fans and your family. Unfortunately, that's the situation but cup finals are always special and we're used to enjoying them with them."  

Finally, looking ahead, he said: "It was a difficult year for us and to be able to celebrate this trophy and now to go for La Liga is really important.

"It's been a different year for us, a transition year, with a lot of young players. Got going this year. The team's been getting strong, now we've won this trophy and there's a long way to go in La Liga. A lot's going to happen between now and the end of the season."

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