Women

"Very proud"

The coaches' reactions following the UEFA Women᾽s Champions League final.

There was no hiding the disappointment of VfL head coach Stephen Lerch following the Champions League final defeat to Olympique Lyon after extra-time on Thursday. The 33-year-old had plenty of praise for his Lady-Wolves, who refused to throw in the towel, even when reduced to ten players, and continued in their attempts to get forward. On the opposing side, the Lyon coach spoke of a “match full of surprises” and his joy at again claiming the UEFA Women᾽s Champions League crown. '

Stephan Lerch: Directly after the game you first have to gather your thoughts. We’ve just played 120 minutes and right now there is simply a feeling of bitter disappointment. We put in a massive effort over the distance here. Taking the lead right at the beginning of extra-time did us good and gave us the feeling we could win the game. The dismissal shortly afterwards was then a hefty blow for us. Lyon have immense quality and it was very difficult to keep tabs on a side like that when we are a player down. They made use of the class they possess, which really hurt us – particularly considering the number of games we have behind us. It’s bitterly disappointing, but I am very proud of the team and how they performed today. They displayed unbelievable will. Naturally I also want to congratulate the winners from Lyon.

Reynald Pedros: There were many different moments in this game. First we scored a goal, which didn’t count although the ball was clearly over the line. At that point, we began to think that this maybe wouldn’t be our day. Then we conceded a goal, which my players immediately dealt with. I saw a reaction from my team, who directly raised the pressure on the attack, and I only briefly had the feeling that this might go against us tonight. My players did the rest. It was a game full of surprises, but we are delighted to have won it.