Barcelona closes in on historic treble after UEFA Youth League triumph

Barcelona is edging closer to an unprecedented clean sweep of UEFA club competitions after its under-19 side clinched a commanding 4-1 victory over Trabzonspor in the UEFA Youth League final on Monday.

The win comes at a pivotal moment for the club: just a day after Barcelona’s women secured a place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final and two days ahead of the men’s Champions League semifinal first leg against Inter Milan. Should the men’s and women’s squads also go on to win their respective tournaments, Barcelona would become the first club in history to claim all three top-tier UEFA trophies in a single season — youth, women’s, and men’s — since the Youth League began in 2013-14.

The youth team, coached by former Champions League hero Juliano Belletti, proved far too strong for Trabzonspor, who were making their debut final appearance and were already the first Turkish team to reach the round of 16. Barcelona took control early through Ibrahim Diarra, the Mali international scoring the first of his two clinical left-footed strikes in the 11th minute. Goals from Andrés Cuenca and team captain Hugo Alba added to the tally, with Diarra’s second in the 68th minute putting the result beyond doubt. Trabzonspor’s Bican Tibukoğlu netted a late consolation in the 88th minute.

Barcelona’s dominance at youth level is no surprise — the club also won the inaugural Youth League title in 2014 and lifted the trophy again in 2018. This season’s squad was so deep in talent that senior first-team stars Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí were still eligible to compete but did not feature.

Now all eyes turn to the club’s senior teams. The women’s side will face Arsenal in the final on May 24 in Lisbon, while the men host Inter Milan this week in hopes of reaching the final in Munich on May 31, where Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal await.

With their Youth League duties complete, Barcelona’s next goal is clear: complete the treble and make European football history.

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