The player of Villarreal Raul Albiol attended the media after losing to Liverpool at La Cerámica. The defender regretted the elimination but highlighted the effort of the entire team: “It hurts us a lot for the people, for the effort the team has made. It couldn’t have been, but the team’s effort has been incredible. We tried until the end. The 2-1 did us a lot of damage and they were superior in this second half”.
Albiol commented that the physical factor was key and in the second half Liverpool conserved their strength better: “We fought for the fans and it hurts us not to give them the final they deserved. We have paid for the effort of the first part, that wear and tear. They are a physical and fast team. They have found themselves at 2-1, which has been a strong blow for us. What more can we ask for. It is a sad night but at the same time unforgettable for us. It was one more long game if there was extension. We had done the hard part but it was time to continue. They pushed harder in the second part. We didn’t know how to react after 2-1, the team was tired. Liverpool is among the best. They have a great physical form and a good bench. We couldn’t keep up the rhythm of the first part and this has killed us.”
Lastly, the veteran central defender highlighted the Submarino’s impressive progress through this Champions League and thanked the fans for their affection: “Our path in Champions has been incredible. It has been many magical nights. It could not be but this is something difficult to see. 16 years have passed since that semifinal. It’s time to continue with enthusiasm to be able to live more nights like this. It’s time to thank the fans“.
“People should be proud of this team”
For his part, the Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno He was very satisfied with the trajectory they have had in the Champions League despite the elimination and pointed out that it should be a source of pride. “I think people should be proud of this team, of this shield, of this club,” he said in statements to Movistar in which he assured that they say goodbye to the tournament “with their heads held high” and that now they should focus on the four matches ahead in LaLiga.
“The team has believed until the end we have not given a lost ball. The match was put where we wanted with the 2-0 but the team wanted to score another goal. We knew that pushing up high we were running risks but in the second half it was noted that we couldn’t keep up the pace”, he analyzed.
“His first goal hurt us, he put us down a bit. We have to congratulate Liverpool and thank our fans who believed in us since they arrived at the stadium,” he concluded.
