Rakitic on the Champions League: I think this will be Barcelona's year

In an interview, Rakitic said he believes Barcelona can win this season's Champions League and that everything is progressing well for Flick's team.

The Croatian midfielder was an important player for Barcelona over several seasons. He believes Barcelona need to make the improvement they have lacked in recent years during this Champions League campaign. Rakitic said directly: "I think this will be Barcelona's year."

Rakitic also praised the strength and youthfulness of Barcelona's squad and recognized the team's consistent growth year by year. He said: "Obviously, everything is progressing well under Flick's leadership. Flick is an excellent coach."

Rakitic won the Champions League while wearing the Barcelona shirt, defeating Juventus 3-1 in the final and scoring a goal himself. Although he favors Barcelona, Rakitic warned that Paris Saint-Germain also have a chance to win the Champions League for the third consecutive time.

Rakitic said: "Of course, special attention must be paid to Paris Saint-Germain. They have great potential, although their form was not ideal in some of the early-season matches. But as the competition progresses, I believe they will return to their best level."

Rakitic also included Bayern Munich and Real Madrid among the title contenders. He said: "Normally, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid will also be present in the final stages of the competition. Premier League teams cannot be overlooked either. Without a doubt, this will be a special and highly competitive Champions League."