The main reason Koeman said those words was simple.
He wanted to ignite the fighting spirit of every Barcelona player before the Copa del Rey final.
After that, Barcelona captain Messi also gave his view on the match.
"First of all, congratulations to Real Madrid for winning La Liga. Their performances this season have been astonishing. However, Barcelona are not afraid of Madrid."
Messi's voice was calm, but his tone carried determination.
"I believe that tomorrow night, we will be the side that wins."
The moment Messi finished speaking, a reporter from MARCA immediately raised a sharp question.
"Leo, Barcelona have already faced Madrid three times this season, and in all three matches, you and your team lost. Why do you believe Barça can beat Madrid tomorrow?"
For Messi, this question undoubtedly rubbed salt into the wound.
In an instant, his eyes turned sharp.
"No team can keep winning forever," Messi said coldly. "Real Madrid are the same. Besides, tomorrow's match is a battle for Barcelona's dignity. We will give everything."
After saying that, Messi immediately stood up and left the pre-match press conference.
That night, the remarks made by Koeman and Messi were widely reported by Spanish media.
📰 AS: Koeman Makes a Final Pledge! If Barcelona Cannot Beat Real Madrid, the Dutchman Will Resign!
📰 MARCA: Messi Calls the Copa del Rey Final a Battle for Barça's Dignity! Can Barcelona Finally Stop Madrid?
📰 Mundo Deportivo: Fourth Clásico of the Season Approaches! Barcelona Enter the Final With Revenge on Their Minds!
📰 Sport: No More Heavy Defeats! Koeman and Messi Demand a Response Against Real Madrid!
In the comment sections beneath those reports, Barcelona fans and Real Madrid fans quickly started arguing.
📱 @BarcaUniversal ✔
Barcelona cannot lose to the same opponent four times in one season. This has to be the night we fight back.
| ↳ 📱 @CulerHeart
| Reply: Koeman has put his job on the line, so the players have no excuse anymore.
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
Madrid have beaten Barça three times already this season. The fourth one is coming.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: With Madrid's current strength, they don't even need to go all out to beat this Barcelona side.
📱 @BarcaPain ✔
My honest suggestion is that Madrid shouldn't push too hard. If Barça players get desperate, the tackles could get ugly.
| ↳ 📱 @UCLMadridista
| Reply: So the plan is no longer football, it's trying to injure Madrid players? Embarrassing.
📱 @MadridModeOn ✔
People really think Theodore will be easy to take out. They haven't watched him bully half of Europe this season.
Amid the fierce arguments between Barcelona and Madrid fans, the Copa del Rey final matchday arrived.
...
June 1.
Seven o'clock in the evening.
Mestalla Stadium.
Barcelona's starting players and Real Madrid's starting players were already in position.
Far away in China, inside Dongqiudi's livestream, the number of viewers had already reached ten million before kickoff, breaking the platform's previous livestream viewing record.
On the live comments, fans were naturally extremely excited for the upcoming battle.
📱 @MadridCN_Insider ✔
It's finally starting. Come on, Real Madrid. Beat Barça for the fourth time this season.
| ↳ 📱 @WhiteShirtFaithful
| Reply: I'm not even nervous anymore. The only suspense is how many goals Barça lose by.
📱 @TheodoreEra ✔
Why is the final against Barça again? Madrid have treated them like free points all season.
| ↳ 📱 @FootballLive
| Reply: Winning the Copa del Rey by beating Barcelona again sounds pretty good to me.
📱 @CulerPain ✔
As a Barça fan, I'm tired before the match even starts. Theodore against our defense again? Please have mercy.
At this moment, the starting players of both teams had already arrived on the pitch.
After the players shook hands briefly, this great battle officially began.
"Beep!"
After the referee's whistle sounded, Real Madrid kicked off first.
In this match, Vinícius could not play because of injury, so Rodrygo took his place on the left flank.
In the first minute, Rodrygo already looked extremely active.
On the left flank, after receiving the ball, he drove forward directly.
Although Rodrygo's breakthrough ability could not be compared with the injured Vinícius, it was still first-class in La Liga.
The player responsible for defending him was Barcelona full-back Dest, whose defensive ability was rather average, especially when facing a winger as explosive as Rodrygo.
After quickly performing two stepovers, the Brazilian winger chose to go around the outside.
In just a few seconds, Rodrygo successfully shook off Dest's interference.
At that moment, Barcelona's experienced midfielder Busquets immediately came over to cover.
Pedri also rushed in from the side.
The two Barcelona midfielders arrived in front of Rodrygo almost at the same time.
Seeing this, Rodrygo decisively played the ball sideways.
It was the correct attacking choice.
Because in the middle of midfield, Theodore had just arrived to receive the pass.
In the Madrid section of the Mestalla stands, deafening cheers instantly erupted.
And Theodore did not disappoint the Madrid fans.
He adjusted his body, lifted his head slightly, and struck the ball with power.
The shot flew like a cannonball toward the goal.
Bang!
It was a shocking long-range strike.
Barcelona goalkeeper Ter Stegen reacted very quickly, but Theodore's shot carried terrifying power.
Even though Ter Stegen stretched as far as he could, his save was only enough to make the goal look even more spectacular.
The ball smashed into the net.
1–0!
Real Madrid had taken the lead!
"Theodore Bjorn scores inside three minutes!" Rob Palmer shouted. "Real Madrid strike first in the Copa del Rey final, and once again, Barcelona are punished by the man who has tormented them all season."
"That is exactly the danger of overcommitting to Rodrygo," Terry Gibson said. "Busquets and Pedri both move across to help Dest, but the moment Rodrygo plays it inside, Theodore has enough space to set himself and unleash that shot. Ter Stegen reacts, but the power is simply too much."
"Real Madrid lead one-nil," Rob continued. "And Koeman's plan has taken a serious hit almost immediately."
In the Mestalla stands, Madrid fans celebrated wildly, while Barcelona supporters lowered their heads in silence.
The same stadium was filled with two completely different emotions.
After Barcelona conceded, the broadcast camera immediately found Koeman standing on the touchline.
His face was filled with unwillingness.
Koeman had spoken firmly before the match.
He had declared that if Barcelona could not beat Real Madrid, he would personally resign.
Yet less than three minutes into the final, his team had already conceded to Theodore again!
For Barcelona, this opening was painfully familiar.
For Real Madrid, it was exactly the start they wanted!
📱 @MadridistaHQ ✔
Three minutes. Theodore scores. Barça killer strikes again.
| ↳ 📱 @BlancoPulse
| Reply: Rodrygo did the work on the left, but the moment Theodore got space in the middle, everyone knew what was coming.
📱 @LaLigaCentral ✔
Real Madrid 1–0 Barcelona. Theodore Bjorn's long-range shooting has become one of the most terrifying weapons in Europe.
| ↳ 📱 @UCLMadridista
| Reply: Ter Stegen saw it, reacted to it, and still couldn't stop it. That says everything.
📱 @BarcaUniversal ✔
We talked about dignity all week and conceded in three minutes. This team is exhausting.
| ↳ 📱 @CulerHeart
| Reply: The problem is always the same. Give Theodore space once, and the match changes immediately.
After the restart, Barcelona's players tried to calm themselves down and regain control of possession.
Messi dropped deeper to ask for the ball, while Pedri and Busquets attempted to slow the rhythm and prevent Madrid from immediately creating another chance.
However, Real Madrid's midfield pressed intelligently, with Kroos and Modrić closing passing lanes while Casemiro kept his position in front of the back line.
Theodore, meanwhile, did not rush forward blindly after scoring.
He stayed in midfield, watching Barcelona's passing rhythm, waiting for the right moment to step in.
Barcelona wanted revenge.
Koeman wanted dignity.
Messi wanted to prove that Barça could still fight Madrid.
But after Theodore's early strike, the pressure had already shifted heavily onto the Catalan side.
They now had to chase the match, and against this Real Madrid, chasing the match was always dangerous.
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