Rakitic: I enjoyed a special night when Barca completed treble on June 6, 2015

Ivan Rakitic enjoyed a special night on June 6, 2015 as Barcelona won the Champions League to complete a treble.

The Croatian got himself on the scoresheet that night in Berlin, becoming the first player to win a Europa League and Champions League in succession.

Looking back on that night and season, Rakitic sat for a chat with MARCA.

What did the Champions League and treble mean for you and Barcelona?

It meant a lot, especially after coming to Barcelona after a great time with Sevilla. I was the first player to win the Europa League and then the Champions League, and they were two incredible years in a row. It was an impressive season and I still remember it all today: what happened before the final, the game itself, the goal, the post-match... it was unforgettable. That final will always be engraved in my mind.

What was that team like?

We were very strong and got stronger with time. We reached the final at our peak and I remember how we felt. We said that we didn't want the season to end because we wanted to keep playing. There was a strong sense of superiority that kept us wanting to play.

What was the key to the side?

How the players mixed together and how hungry the new players were. All of that was coupled with a great coach [Luis Enrique] who knew the finer details and how to handle everything.

Was it a luxury to play alongside that Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez trident?

It was very enjoyable. You could see the opposition's concern, because they had to fully focus and didn't know where to concentrate most. We attacked at every possible chance, we were dangerous and deep and had everything. It was a joy to play with them.

Not everything was a bed of roses. Everything looked bad in San Sebastian at Christmas... how did you pull through?

It's often said that when you fall you have to get up stronger, and we needed those days. We realised that if we didn't work for each other and we weren't 100 percent then everything was more difficult. Everything came together and we all gave 10 percent more to create that strength. Sometimes you need a wake-up call.

How are you facing the final stretch of this season?

It'll be different for everyone. There's a clear before and after with the virus. We've come through a hard time, everyone worked at home and now the games will be behind closed doors, so everything will be different.

Can you win the coveted Champions League?

We want to improve a lot of things because we know that we need to. There's a fantastic atmosphere in the dressing room and we have clear objectives. Hopefully we'll end August with both trophies [LaLiga Santander and the Champions League], we're working for that and I think it's possible. We want it. We'll have to be prepared and see how the competition is formatted, but we have an opportunity that we want to take advantage of.