Pique dreaming of new treble for Barcelona

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is hopeful his side can win the treble again this season but is aware that it will be a tough task.

The Catalan giants won the Spanish league, the King’s Cup and the Champions League in 2009 during Pep Guardiola’s first full season in charge of the club, becoming the first Spanish team to achieve the feat.

The club have the chance to win all three trophies once more this season as they are eight points clear at the top of La Liga, take on arch-rivals Real Madrid in the King’s Cup final on Wednesday and are also in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

“We are very confident of winning this treble, we know it is very difficult because it was only won once before, but we have the possibility of doing it and we have to aspire to it,” Pique said in an interview published yesterday in sports daily Mundo Deportivo.

“I don’t like to talk too much about the treble because there is still a lot to go until we have it. But I have a lot of confidence in the team and if I did not I would not say it. You have to trust these players, who have won so much.”

Barcelona will face Real Madrid tomorrow in the league in the first of four clashes between the two sides in less than a month.

After their King’s Cup final clash on April 20 at Valencia, Barcelona and Real will face each other in the Champions League semi-finals on April 27 and May 3.

Pique said it would be very difficult to repeat the 5-0 thrashing which Barcelona handed out to Real on November 29 in their last league clash.

“Each Barca-Madrid match is different, that was an exaggeration,” he said.

“Historically, ‘clasico’ matches are very difficult. We will win but we know with all humility that it will be very complicated,” he added.