Garcia: “I am proud of my players and of the pleasure we were able to give” – ​​Champions League

Special envoy to Lisbon

The match and the elimination against Bayern : “We are very disappointed. There were some facts about the game that were not in our favor. In particular these first two occasions. It is we who must lead the score … And on, I was going to say Bayern’s first foray, not even an opportunity but an individual achievement, he (Serge Gnabry) puts it in the skylight. At that moment, you have this feeling of injustice, to be led instead of leading. Against this team, it’s difficult … I’m not saying that we would have qualified, but I think that if we had led by the score, the match would have turned out completely different. And in the second half, there is also a very big chance, a face to face of Karl (Toko Ekambi) with (Manuel) Neuer. And the latter stopped … If we had gone back to 2-1, I think we could have hoped to equalize and go into overtime. But this is the game. We can be proud of our journey and even of this match. The score does not tell the face of the meeting, even if we know that they were superior and that they have players of great talent, as we have seen. Especially on goals scored. But I am proud of my players, proud of the pleasure that we were able to give on this adventure and our course. Even if it is the disappointment of not having gone to the final that dominates for the moment … “

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PSG-Bayern : “I really don’t want to talk about the final. I would have liked OL to be there. What is certain is that these are two teams that are built to win the Champions League. I hope that I will find a little taste by Sunday to watch it. “

“Return to the Champions League from the following season”

Lessons from Final 8 before the resumption of Ligue 1 : “We will quickly have to dive back into everyday life, Ligue 1. We will not play in Europe, the objective will therefore be to return to the Champions League from the following season. It is not easy to be in the last four of the C1, to have made two exploits against Juve and City and not to have been able to make the third, and to get back into the championship. However, it is on this that we will have to work on the psychological level. With the staff, we will think about how we can heal the wounds of this half and especially remobilize the players on the common objective which must be to make the best possible championship and start it well. “

Reasons for satisfaction despite disappointment : “This adventure must serve the group, that’s for sure. It shows him that when we are united, that we give everything for the collective, that we have a team spirit and that we show character, we are able to overturn mountains. We knocked over two. The top of the third, we saw it, but we did not reach it … Once again, I can only stay on the analysis of the Champions League and tonight’s match. I don’t think I have the ideas clear enough to project myself beyond. But it is certain that there are positive things that will have to be able to continue with this group, to achieve the best possible results from the following weekend. “

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Possible departures of executive players : “I know that Juninho spoke about it (after the match, on RMC, citing in particular Aouar and Dembélé, editor’s note). We really don’t know. What is certain is that with this adventure in the Champions League and this semi-final, even if I did not wait for that to know that I have excellent players in my squad, some still have highlighted. And so they could be coveted. But we’re not going to answer that tonight, or be alarmed. We have a very good workforce. We’ll see if there are good economic opportunities, in which case I think the club will seize them. But I can’t answer that. It’s up to the president and the sporting director to do it. “

“Everyone promised us hell, but we did not live it”

Le Bavaria : “What impressed me? Its ability to be efficient. It was actually the most efficient team that won tonight … And it takes a bit of success too. Karl hit the post. If it’s a coming post and we lead 1-0, I think that changes everything. I liked the way the players followed the game plan … but only 50%. We had to use the spaces behind the defense. We did it very well: the proof is how we created our first two situations. On the other hand, I had asked them to use the width a lot more, to be able to play fast, in one touch, to pull aside and go to the other side to see if it was closed, because this team is suffering. of that. And I think we only did it in the second half, unfortunately. Afterwards, at 2-0 at the break, it’s not easy, but I think we came back with the intention of continuing to use depth and quick attacks, but also to play more, to start again and to rule out the game, to look to the other side to cause them problems. We did it. And we had this big opportunity (the Toko-Ekambi / Neuer duel, editor’s note) but we did not have the success of scoring … I felt that all Bayern Munich is, a huge team and they deserved victory, we made them doubt, with what we did at the start of the match and in the second half, until this third goal which resulted in a severe defeat when we did not deserve it. The fact of having made them doubt is rather good because everyone was promising us hell. We did not live it. “

The locker room after this defeat : “Our young players will have learned at high speed thanks to this epic in the Champions League. We had barely fifteen cumulative matches in C1 on the entire workforce. We have a very young group. But these are matches that allow very quickly to acquire a very strong experience which will be useful for the future to the youngest, and not to the young ones besides. “

Review of his first season in Lyon : “We will have time, before starting next season, to take stock. It will be truncated in any case, the championship having been stopped after 28 days, we were not allowed to dispute the last 30 points which would certainly have led us to Europe. But we have a semi-final of the Champions League, a final of the Coupe de la Ligue, a semi-final of the Coupe de France. We could have done better. But in the cups, it’s still something very good. Afterwards, we should have done better in the league, I agree. Even over 28 days. ”

Interview at a press conference