Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick sets challenge for his players after devastating Champions League quarter-final exit

Hansi Flick has challenged his Barcelona players to win the La Liga title "as soon as possible" following their elimination in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Barcelona recorded a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their last-eight clash on Tuesday night, but it was not enough to see them advance into the semi-finals, with Diego Simeone's team triumphing 3-2 on aggregate.

Flick said that he was "proud of the team" for their performance level, with the Barca head coach taking the positives from the elimination.

Barcelona's full focus is now on Spain's top flight, and they currently sit nine points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table with seven games left.

Flick has called on his players to wrap up the championship "as soon as possible".

Barcelona's Champions League dream is over

"I am proud of the team and how we played. Over the two legs I think we deserved a place in the semi-finals," Flick told reporters during Tuesday's post-match press conference.

"We were fantastic in the first half, but obviously we have to score more goals. We played really well and we had to play with 10 men. The team were excellent.

"Despite being knocked out we have to keep playing like this. There are a lot of disappointed people and that's normal. Winning the Champions League is really important and I think we are on the way to that. There's room for improvement and that's what we have to do.

"I value what I have seen. It's clear we did not have much luck, but that's the way it is and we have to accept that. We have a young team and they will get better. It's good to talk about what they have done and we have to be proud of it.

"We are disappointed but we will be back. The next step is to win the league. We want to win it and it does not matter when, but we want to win it as soon as possible."

What next for Barcelona?

Barcelona's attention will already be on their next La Liga match, which comes at home to Celta Vigo on April 22, before finishing the month away to Getafe.

The Catalan outfit will then face Osasuna, Real Madrid, Alaves, Real Betis and Valencia in their final five league fixtures of the campaign in May.