Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-03-13 09:12:47
The UEFA Champions League last-16 second legs on Tuesday provided some key quotes from the games between Barcelona and Napoli, as well as Arsenal and Porto.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya expressed his joy after their victory over Porto on penalties, saying, “Obviously it’s a great feeling for me personally, first time in the Champions League and for the club to get into the quarter-finals for the first time in so many years.” Raya credited their success to their hard work on penalties, adding, “We’ve worked a lot on penalties this year and all the hard work with the goalie coach and the team has paid off. A great moment personally and collectively.” He also highlighted the significance of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in years.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, who will be leaving the club at the end of the season, expressed his belief that his announcement had liberated the players, saying, “I don’t think that people believed me when I said I was certain that my announcement would liberate the players. Now, we’ve shown that we are competitive in Europe.” He also emphasized the importance of their victory in reaching the quarter-finals after a four-year wait, stating, “It was an incredible night, (it’s been) four years without getting where we belong, where the club deserves to be.” Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto echoed the sentiment, expressing gratitude to the fans for their support, saying, “The fans backed us — they are very important.” Goalscorer Fermin Lopez also highlighted the joy within the squad, stating, “That’s four years this club has waited to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League — this means real joy for the squad, the coach, the injured players, the fans.”
Napoli coach Francesco Calzona reflected on their loss to Barcelona, acknowledging their mistakes, saying, “The game had different phases, we did well at times and almost equalised. Of course, if you lose, it means something didn’t work. We were ready to face a strong opponent, but we made too many mistakes.” Despite the defeat, Calzona recognized the strength of their opponent and the need to learn from their errors.
Overall, these quotes capture the emotions and reflections of the teams involved in the UEFA Champions League last-16 second legs, highlighting the joy of victory, the impact of hard work and dedication, and the lessons learned from defeat.
