UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manager Roy Hodgson hails "magical" time at Fulham

Record ID: 783540

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manager Roy Hodgson hails "magical" time at Fulham
  • Date: 30th April 2010
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (APRIL 29, 2010) (REUTERS) FULHAM MANAGER ROY HODGSON WALKING INTO A NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM, REPORTERS APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) FULHAM MANAGER ROY HODGSON, SAYING "To reach Europa Cup final, I don't care if you are a Fulham or one of the top four in the country. It's an achievement that is really outstanding and I think that will be recognized by everybody. I can only enjoy the moment and make certain that glory that players deserve will not be deflected in any way. Because I don't think I've got any reason to suggest that we are in the final for any other reason than we played very very well throughout and we knocked some incredible difficult teams in the tournament. Not least Hamburg SV, one of the biggest European team of all time." REPORTER TYPING ON COMPUTER (SOUNDBITE) (English) FULHAM MANAGER ROY HODGSON, SAYING "Certainly when I look back at my career, hope that's not going to be for a little while yet, I know that I will remember the time here with Fulham and I will remember this night and any nights like it. When we have a team that produced I think better football and a better result then we are entitled to ask of them." REPORTERS HAMBURG SV STAND-IN COACH, ROBERTO MONIZ SEATING DOWN (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) HAMBURG SV STAND-IN COACH, ROBERTO MONIZ, SAYING: "It's tough, this is the second time I have experienced this. To loose in the semi-final. Last year we had 1-0 lead at our own stadium, this year again, but at this moment I can say the team didn't do what I asked them to do, stay away from own goal, you can't do that against the English team." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (German) HAMBURG SV STAND-IN COACH, ROBERTO MONIZ, SAYING: "I don't think so, every game you have the obligation to your fans and we have really loyal fans. Every game is sold out. It's a drama, because everything is gone now, you are not playing for something anymore, but on the other side, we've got a game in two days, and we have to start over. And that will happen." REPORTER MONIZ LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 15th May 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVADM78BWA9KONJ34NJPUU13Z7VL
  • Story Text: Fulham, in the fourth tier of English soccer just 13 years ago, completed their fairy-tale run to the Europa League final with a 2-1 win over Hamburg SV at Craven Cottage on Thursday (April 29).
    Well-taken late goals in the semi-final second leg from Simon Davies and Zoltan Gera on 69 and 76 minutes sealed a 2-1 aggregate win and a place in the May 12 final in Hamburg.
    Earlier, Croatian striker Mladen Petric stunned the home side with a vicious 30-metre free kick after 22 minutes that Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer could only watch as it sailed into his net.
    Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, who joined Fulham when they were fighting a Premier League relegation battle in December 2007, paid tribute to players.
    "It's an achievement that is really outstanding and I think that will be recognized by everybody. I can only enjoy the moment and make certain that glory that players deserve will not be deflected in any way," Hodgson told reporters.
    "I don't think I've got any reason to suggest that we are in the final for any other reason than we played very very well throughout and we knocked some incredible difficult teams in the tournament. Not least Hamburg SV, one of the biggest European team of all time," he added.
    The former Inter Milan and Switzerland manager also said this moment will stay with him forever.
    "Certainly when I look back at my career, hope that's not going to be for a little while yet, I know that I will remember the time here with Fulham and I will remember this night and any nights like it," Hodgson said.
    Hamburg who was playing its first game under interim coach Ricardo Moniz, who took over Monday after Bruno Labbadia was fired, missed on another Europa League final.
    They have lost at the same stage of the competition last year.
    "It's tough, this is the second time I have experienced this. To loose in the semi-final. Last year we had 1-0 lead at our own stadium, this year again," visible disappointed Moniz told reporters.
    The Dutchman said it's going to be tough to play again in two days in the Bundesliga.
    "It's a drama, because everything is gone now, you are not playing for something anymore, but on the other side, we've got a game in two days, and we have to start over. And that will happen," he said.
    Fulham will play Atletico Madrid in the final. The Spanish team beat Liverpool 2-1 in extra time in their second leg at Anfield.
    Fulham also beat Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg, Italian giants Juventus and 2009 UEFA Cup winners Shakhtar Donetsk earlier in the competition.
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