Defending champions Barcelona beat Sevilla 2-0 in extra time to lift their 28th Copa del Rey title at the Vicente Calderon in Madrid on Sunday night. Both sides saw a man sent off for making last-man tackles in normal time and nothing separated the two until Jordi Alba and Neymar scored in extra time to give Barcelona the win.
Lionel Messi was anonymous for most of the game but his two sublime assists helped Barcelona claim a historic double. Here is how managers, players and pundits reacted after the final:
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique was thrilled with his side’s achievement.
"It was a spectacular end to the season," he told a news conference. Asked to sum up the season in one word, he replied. "Fantastic."
"This team is made of champions. We must be proud of these players," he added. "When the team had to defend, we were able to close the gaps, compete and play football. It's time to enjoy it."
By defending their King’s Cup trophy, Barcelona won a seventh title from nine competitions under Luis Enrique.
As well last season's league, King’s Cup and Champions League treble, they won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with him at the helm.
"The truth is I've always fallen on my feet here,” said Luis Enrique, who was serenaded by fans at the end of the final at the Vicente Calderon.
Club captain Andres Iniesta speaking to the club’s official website said:
"It is a magnificent season because it is very difficult to win titles."
"It was very nice: it was very difficult and the team played a great game."
"We had some setbacks and it forced us to find it within ourselves."
"We have a squad that can keep winning and we can be optimistic for the future."
"I am grateful to those who gave me the best player award, but that's just a side note when you win a title."
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique thanked the fans for their continuous support:
"The team's trajectory in recent years is magnificent."
"We had to play back for a lot of minutes and try to find some counterattacks."
"The game was got really tough around the half hour, but we fought, we won and I think we deserved it."
"We want to keep winning titles and adding to our honours."
"It's a pleasure to have our fans with us, especially when a game like this goes into extra time."
Luis Suarez who was almost in tears after suffering a hamstring injury cheered himself up and even posted this picture on Twitter:
Sevilla coach Unai Emery was proud of his players too, highlighting the fact that their Europa League win on Wednesday had given them less time to prepare for the game.
"In the second half we had two good chances," he said.
"If we were fresher, in the final quarter of the pitch we would have been able to win the game. I don't think we lacked luck, and the team has a lot of ambition.
"We lacked freshness, which would have allowed us to respond more (after Barcelona scored)."
Barcelona’s Dani Alves thanked God for everything he has achieved. He said:
"32nd trophy in my career. Thank you, God, for giving me these chances every day."
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher had nothing but praise for Andres Iniesta:
Gary Lineker had his say on the Messi pass:
Finally, Barcelona’s official Twitter account did not lose an opportunity to remind people of how many Copa Del Rey titles they have won:
