- Title: UK: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Brave Cluj stun Man United but no fairytale ending
- Date: 6th December 2012
- Summary: MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 5, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF MANCHESTER UNITED'S STADIUM OLD TRAFFORD CLOSE OF A SIGN ON OLD TRAFFORD WHICH READS: 'MANCHESTER UNITED' MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER ALEX FERGUSON ARRIVING AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE PULL FOCUS SHOT OF THE MANCHESTER UNITED CREST (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER, ALEX FERGUSON, SAYING: "Well I
- Embargoed: 21st December 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Sports,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVA1E36NLJ6DFS81VPKA2CK5FVQN
- Story Text: CFR Cluj's bid to become the first Romanian side to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages is ended despite a famous 1-0 upset win over Manchester United.
CFR Cluj's bid to become the first Romanian side to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages ended on Wednesday (December 5) despite a famous 1-0 upset win over Premier League leaders Manchester United.
Brazilian Luis Alberto struck an unstoppable swerving shot after 56 minutes to condemn a second-string United to their first home loss in Europe's elite competition since 2009, but Galatasaray's 2-1 win at Braga put the Turkish side through.
United manager Alex Ferguson, whose team had already won the group, said he was pleased with some of his younger players gaining and experience and allowing players like Phil Jones to get some game time.
"Well I am satisfied in that we've given a few young players a bit of experience some other players game time, and that was the intention having qualified early in the last game against Galatasaray, we did the exactly the same thing put a good performance on over in Galatasaray," Ferguson told reporters in the post-match news conference. "Today I am satisfied that we have got a few players back in, Jones for instance, it is only his second game in nine months and he was fantastic, he did a really good job for us. We achieved what we wanted to achieve without getting the result."
Ferguson admitted he felt sorry for his counterpart Paulo Sergio but the Scot had a suspicion that Galatasaray would win against Braga.
"I think that the two times we have played them (Cluj) we've had good games; very sporting, no issues at all," Ferguson said. "It is just unfortunate as Cluj have done their job very well but I did fancy Galatasaray against Braga. I thought Galatasaray would win, and I think they are a little bit better than Cluj."
Cluj finished Group H level on 10 points with Galatasaray, behind winners United on 12, but the Romanians lost out on head-to-head record and have the Europa League as consolation.
Steaua Bucharest, the 1986 winners, reached the final of Europe's elite club competition in 1989, but no Romanian club has reached the knockout stages of the Champions League since it was formed in the 1992-93 season.
Sergio could not hide his frustration in the news conference.
"It is strange," Sergio said. "(We) came to Old Trafford and get a victory and (the players) still sit in the dressing room with their heads down. It is frustrating but I told the players that they should be proud of themselves, we did our part and we have to keep going."
Cluj, making their third Champions League appearance after group stage outings in 2010-11 and 2008-09, survived pressure from the home team in the first half when goalkeeper Mario Felgueiras denied Tom Cleverley and Wayne Rooney.
Felgueiras also repelled a Danny Welbeck header as United looked to grab the advantage.
However, it was Luis Alberto's moment of genius in the second half that stole the show for the visitors in a largely dour affair, inflicting a first home defeat on United since they lost to Besiktas in November 2009.
"We always work to win," Sergio added, "sometimes we achieve that, other times we can't, but it's our mentality it's always there. Our players played very, very well and did not allow Man United to do the game they wanted, and I believe at the end of the day we deserved these three points."
United's last-16 opponents will be known when the draw is made on Dec. 20, with Ferguson's men due to face one of the group runners-up.
Nine-times European champions Real Madrid, seven-times winners AC Milan, 1987 and 2004 champions Porto, twice finalists Valencia, 2009 UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk or Scotland's Celtic await.
Cluj head into uncharted waters when they resume European competition in the Europa League last 32 in February. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None