Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde feels Liverpool cost his side the Copa del Rey last season, in addition to preventing them reaching the Champions League final.
Overturning a three-goal deficit from the first leg and beating Barcelona 4-0 at Anfield to progress to the Champions League final was one of Liverpool's standout moments in their European triumph last season.
While the comeback victory against the Catalans gave the Reds a memory to cherish, the heavy defeat saw Barcelona's morale hit rock bottom.
Valverde, who feels Barcelona's Champions League campaign until that night at Anfield was good, has admitted that his side were psychologically affected after Divock Origi scored an early goal at Anfield before Jurgen Klopp's men went on to score another three.
The Spanish giants then went on to lose in the Copa del Rey final against Valencia, meaning double heartache – and Valverde blames Liverpool for that defeat too.
“Until Liverpool, we were having an incredible Champions League", Valverde told Barcelona's official site.
"At Anfield, we had chances but they scored early on and psychologically we started worrying that what happened in Rome might happen again.
"There was a moment of weakness and we paid for it. It was one of the toughest moments of the year.
“We must admit that the hit we took in Liverpool meant our morale was down going into the cup final.
"If we’d won against Liverpool, we’d have won the cup final too.”
Liverpool went on to win the Champions League, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final, while they recently earned the title of world champions by winning the FIFA Club World Cup.
