‘Triplete’ is the Spanish word for a treble of major trophies — and in Barcelona, it is being repeated a lot.
While most players do not want to talk about winning a clean sweep of trophies, the possibility hangs in the air.
“When you’re at La Masia (Barca’s famed youth academy), you always dream of winning the triplete,” midfielder Gavi said at the news conference before the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund.
On Saturday, Barca lifted the Copa del Rey after a 3-2 win against Real Madrid. During the celebrations, there was a subtle reference to the treble when the Coldplay song Viva la Vida played over the loudspeakers of the La Cartuja stadium — the soundtrack to the club’s first treble under Pep Guardiola in 2008-09.
Barcelona hold a four-point lead over Madrid in La Liga, with a Clasico at their temporary Montjuic home ground to come, and drew 3-3 in a madcap first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Inter. Winning all three competitions would give Barca the third treble in the club’s history after Guardiola’s first and another under Luis Enrique in 2014-15.
Only eight men’s teams have won their nation’s league, domestic cup and the European Cup/Champions League in a single season and Barca could…
