We saw many changes in the lineup and the final scoreline was negative; so, judging by the outcome, something went wrong in terms of management and the choices made. We would like to hear you thoughts on that and the reasons that led to this result.
“I will be honest with you and share with you my true thoughts. I will never stop stressing that our goal is to win the championship. Having said that, many players who are normally capped in European fixtures, played a match 3 days ago. I truly believe that tonight’s display was not due to these changes. Until our player’s dismissal, our performance has been calm, composed and with quality. We have not suffered by our opponents and we have had the lead after quite a few chances. After our player was sent off, the match changed completely, we lost balance and we paid the cost. The second booking was a mistake; Benzia had committed no more than 3 fouls up to that moment. I believe that his dismissal was a mistake, it had an impact on us and tipped the scales of the match. It was not due to the change in players; we showed we were balanced and composed, and –tactically- we faced no problem at all”.
You were really optimistic before the match, yet tonight you lost. You said you would feel like playing at home, however this has not been the case.
“Truth be told, we have to analyse this match in the upcoming days and with a cool head. Indeed, our level of quality dropped after this dismissal and we were outdone in all set pieces. A coldblooded analysis is necessary. I would like to thank the fans, they were truly amazing and never stopped cheering for both sides. However, I am sorry that from the 75th minute onwards, the display was much poorer”.
When you said that Benzia’s dismissal was a mistake, do you mean it was the referee’s or the player’s who should have been more careful and avoid the booking?
“I am not trying to come up with excuses for my squad, however this second booking was an exaggeration. Benzia has already been booked and he didn’t attempt to cause any injury to the other player. It was an ordinary foul, undeserved of a booking. There have been other moments in the match that called for a booking. After Benzia was sent off, we failed to meet the match’s circumstances”.
