- Title: Sevilla and Liverpool react to Europa League final
- Date: 18th May 2016
- Summary: BASEL, SWITZERLAND (MAY 18, 2016) (REUTERS) SEVILLA CAPTAIN, COKE (RIGHT) RECEIVING THE MAN-OF-THE-MATCH AWARD / COKE POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS CAMERAMAN FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SEVILLA CAPTAIN, COKE, SAYING: "The team has had a great season. We have been able to get back up after falling down during a tough game. We started OK but they improved and scored a goal and were better in the last quarter of the first half. As what we felt on the pitch, Mister (coach Unai Emery) told us we couldn't change our plan. We had to trust. And we were very lucky to score at the first goal at the beginning of the second half. It was the second half and we played well in the second 45 minutes. We have been able to steal. We were good offensively and I think this is what has decided the final." SIGN, READING: "UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE. BASEL FINAL 2016" NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SEVILLA COACH, UNAI EMERY, SAYING: "We had to something once we were here. The first half, you know, Liverpool is a great team and of course they also wanted to get to the Champions League and winning this game they would have played in the competition but we had to believe in ourselves and we had to remember what we feel when we play in our own stadium. When you say people ask me about moving my hands; it was to tell the fans to go on, to go on, to go on. I'm very happy for all Sevilla fans. And because they are happy, we're happy." EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL BALL ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SEVILLA COACH, UNAI EMERY, SAYING: "Sevilla fans and the club love this competition and we love it so much, we want it so much that we found it and we're very happy about that and it's our competition and we are the champions once again. The Champions League is an opportunity to grow. But the reality is the games against Manchester (City) and Juventus sent us here and this competition is growing and it's the challenge we always kept in mind in the dressing room. The challenge was to try and reach the final and more than anything to enjoy the process, not only the final but the process; each game, each training session, each day on the way to the final." LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING: "The first (Sevilla) goal obviously had a big influence on our game. In this moment we lost faith in our style of play. We changed from passing simple and quick to slow and complicated. (We) lost our formation, it wasn't compact anymore." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING: "The way the final was, there were a few moments where we maybe overperformed. We were unbelievably great, the boys showed what they're capable of, but to have this consistency in the game you need a little bit more time maybe. They are still young, the players' first big final, unfortunately the second final of the season but the first big final and we will use this experience together then someday everybody will say 'Basel was a very decisive moment for the wonderful future of Liverpool F.C.'." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER, JUERGEN KLOPP, SAYING: "We will carry on, I will carry on, and I will be in another final and then you will tell me 'you lost your last five finals' and we'll be prepared for this moment. So I'm not sure I have a good answer but I believe I will try all I have to reach the next final even when I know that you can lose it, so it's like it is. There are bigger problems in life but in this moment to be honest, it doesn't feel like this. It's really hard." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE KLOPP LEAVING AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 3rd June 2016 00:39
- Keywords: Europa League Liverpool Sevilla Klopp Unai Emery Coke
- Location: BASEL, SWITZERLAND
- City: BASEL, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IC6REN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Sevilla extended Spain's dominance of European competition when they won the Europa League for the third time in a row on Wednesday (May 18), soundly beating Liverpool 3-1 in the final.
Their title meant that, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid clashing in next week's Champions League final, Spanish clubs will have won both European competitions for each of the last three seasons.
Sevilla captain Coke, who scored two goals in the final, won the man of the match award for his performance.
"The team has had a great season. We have been able to get back up after falling down during a tough game. We started OK but they improved and scored a goal and were better in the last quarter of the first half. As what we felt on the pitch, Mister (coach Unai Emery) told us we couldn't change our plan. We had to trust. And we were very lucky to score at the first goal at the beginning of the second half. It was the second half and we played well in the second 45 minutes. We have been able to steal. We were good offensively and I think this is what has decided the final," said Coke.
Sevilla coach Unai Emery joined Giovanni Trapattoni as they only manager to have won the Europa League, or its predecessor the UEFA Cup, three times. Emery said his team had confidence in their game despite a first half performance where they were outplayed by the English side.
"We had to something once we were here. The first half, you know, Liverpool is a great team and of course they also wanted to get to the Champions League and winning this game they would have played in the competition but we had to believe in ourselves and we had to remember what we feel when we play in our own stadium. When you say people ask me about moving my hands; it was to tell the fans to go on, to go on, to go on. I'm very happy for all Sevilla fans. And because they are happy, we're happy," he said.
The final was a spirit-crushing defeat for Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp, who believes their Europa League final heartache could prove to be a bright new beginning for his club.
"The first (Sevilla) goal obviously had a big influence on our game. In this moment we lost faith in our style of play. We changed from passing simple and quick to slow and complicated. (We) lost our formation, it wasn't compact anymore," he said.
"The way the final was, there were a few moments where we maybe overperformed. We were unbelievably great, the boys showed what they're capable of, but to have this consistency in the game you need a little bit more time maybe. They are still young, the players' first big final, unfortunately the second final of the season but the first big final and we will use this experience together then some day everybody will say 'Basel was a very decisive moment for the wonderful future of Liverpool F.C.'," he added.
After going three seasons under Klopp's predecessor Brendan Rodgers without making a major final, to reach two in such a short space of time is perhaps a glaring signal that Klopp means business. Liverpool also lost to Manchester City in this season's League Cup final. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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