Lionel Messi news: 'Want to win Copa del Rey to ease the pain of Champions League defeat,' says Messi

What's the story?

FC Barcelona are a day away from playing in yet another Copa del Rey final to complete a second consecutive domestic double.

Speaking at a news conference, his first in four years, Barcelona's captain, Lionel Messi talked about Barcelona's 4-0 defeat to Liverpool.

In case you didn't know...

Barcelona were historically thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool FC and subsequently eliminated from yet another Champions League. Barcelona had a 3-0 aggregate advantage going into the match but squandered the lead in the second leg.

The heart of the matter

This defeat has clearly impacted the whole of FC Barcelona, but perhaps more than anyone, it has impacted Lionel Messi.

At the start of this season, he declared to a packed Nou Camp that it had been too long since Barcelona had won the Champions League. He then went onto claim that he would try everything he could to win the Champions League this year. However, it did not go to plan.

Barcelona have only won one Champions League in the last 7 years, which is far less than their fierce rivals, Real Madrid, who have won it 4 times during that time.

Talking about the loss to Liverpool FC earlier this season, Lionel Messi said, "We were hit hard by it."

He then went on to say, "We (Barcelona) have to apologise for the second half of the match at Liverpool, not because of the result, but because of how it looked and that we didn't compete. It was one of the worst experiences in my career."

He reflected on the sad occasion and said, "It was one of the worst experiences in my career."

What's Next?

Barcelona face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final tomorrow evening, where they are looking to complete another domestic double.