The Paris coach reflects on the victory against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals.
“Victory in pain: ‘It’s the kind of match the fans enjoyed, with two good teams. Liverpool played very well, we tried to control the game. It was very tight. We had good moments in the first half. It was different after the break, they pressed higher, it was tougher. We showed what kind of team we are, Liverpool too. It was a very beautiful quarter-final and it was important for us to reach the semi-finals,'” the coach said.
On reaching the semi-finals, the coach said, “You have to be lucky. In this match, we had moments where it could have been dangerous to concede a goal… It’s a real pleasure to have this kind of players, to be in this club and have these supporters, they are incredible, their support is always positive for us. We are very happy to enjoy this kind of match.”
Regarding goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, the coach mentioned: “I said at the beginning of the season that it’s a pleasure to have three goalkeepers of this level. He did his job in the best way. We showed the kind of team we are. We showed it last year and we continue. It’s important to know that it’s hard to be at the top after winning last year. We need to enjoy the moment and think about the next competition, the semi-final. We will see tomorrow which team we will face (Real Madrid or Bayern).”
The coach also provided updates on injuries to players Doumbe and Mendes and complemented Ousmane Dembele for his performance in the match.
When asked if he was afraid during moments when Paris SG was losing control, the coach said, “These are moments that are impossible to control. In basketball, I would have taken a timeout! But that’s the wonderful thing about football. When they take risks, we can have a counter-attack to kill the game.”
Finally, the coach shared his thoughts on facing either Bayern or Real Madrid in the semi-finals and mentioned enjoying the match with a beer in Paris.
