Angry Can lashes out at 'soft' Dortmund team mates after Barcelona loss

Can was visibly frustrated after the match and told DAZN that it was a matter of attitude, rather than tactics, that led to the defeat

Champions League - Quarter Final - First Leg - FC Barcelona v Borussia Dortmund - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - April 9, 2025 Borussia Dortmund's Emre Can looks dejected after the match REUTERS/Albert Gea

Borussia Dortmund captain Emre Can launched an angry tirade against his team mates after his side were thrashed 4-0 by Barcelona in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

Can was visibly frustrated after the match and told DAZN that it was a matter of attitude, rather than tactics or coaching decisions, that led to the defeat.

"It's not a question of system but rather of whether everyone is willing to give 100% and make the sacrifices required in games like this," Can said.

"Too many things went wrong in the game, we didn't play well today. We were soft. We weren't cohesive enough. And on top of that, we made simple mistakes.

"At this level, those types of mistakes are punished harshly. That's why we went down here today.

"We were playing against a great Barcelona team, they obviously have several good players, definitely, so the only way you can beat them is if you go out there as a team, something we didn't do," Can said.

"I think we could have done much better, even though they're so good, I know that. You have to go for it and we didn't, to be honest.

"Now we need to put in a good performance (in the second leg) and try to win the game. We owe it to our fans and we need to give it everything we've got."

Treble-chasing Barca will be full of confidence for Tuesday's return leg in Germany against struggling Dortmund who are eighth in the Bundesliga standings on 41 points, five from the qualification spots for next season's Champions League.