Schaaf Praise: Best International Game

First Team
Thursday, 23.02.2006 / 16:52

Ivan Klasnic described the game as being like a fairytale with the title - 'Oops and Yippee'. For the fans it was an unbelieveable spectacle, as well as a fantastic evening and for the team it was a massive step towards prestige and notoriety in European football and proof of their development.

Ivan Klasnic described the game as being like a fairytale with the title - 'Oops and Yippee'. For the fans it was an unbelieveable spectacle, as well as a fantastic evening and for the team it was a massive step towards prestige and notoriety in European football and proof of their development. General manager Klaus Allofs hit the nail on the head: "There are not many teams who could have come back after the disappointment of slipping 1:2 behind against Juventus, then to turn the game around. The team knew having fallen behind that the score couldn't stay that way and gave their all to the very death. Even the equaliser wasn't enough. The fact that Joe was perfectly placed in the last minute makes it all the more fun", was how Allofs summed up the events and added: "The team have learned, they've played against Barcelona, Valencia, Lyon and Inter. Now they know how they compare with such teams after tonight. We've gotten the disaster against Lyon out of our heads but we are constantly reminded of it - the team have gone some way to putting the record straight now."

 

The fact that last seasons last 16 tie still played a roll in the minds of Werder players was confirmed by striker Miroslav Klose: "We wanted to repair some of the damage. We wanted to show in the Champions League qualifier against Basel that that wasn't the true Werder that played against Lyon. The qualification was very important - we need the games to learn. The team set down a marker tonight, we really wanted to win the game. Even after we pulled it back to 2:2 just before the end, we knew we had to go for the 3:2."

 

Trainer Thomas Schaaf was bubbling with praise for his team: "The lads put in a fantastic nights work and really offered something. The way we played, combined, moved ourselves, sprayed the ball about in the first half was brilliant. We were a little wary to begin with but we improved minute by minute. The team worked for one another, each player covering the ground for the next." Schaaf was particularly impressed by how his team reacted to going behind: "To play so well and then go behind is bitter, it turns everything on it's head. I was surprised myself at how well the lads found their way back into the tie, my congratulations go to the team for how they turned the result in their favour. That's one of the best performances we've ever put on in the Champions League. We've always said that this competition is a highlight for us, we did ourselves justice with tonights result."

 

The Juve coach Fabio Capello was as frustrated as his German counter part was ecstatic: "I can't recall when a team of mine gave away a game the way we did tonight. It was a good game but we made presents of their goals. The two goals at the end should have never happened. They were mostly dangerous from set plays, we didn't allow them many other chances. Werder were mentally in good form." Capello was quick to defend his team against accusations of arrogance: "We were playing against a strong team. Juve is not an arrogant team. We were alone in front of goal twice in our weaker first half."

 

Werder vice captain Torsten Frings was very happy about the bonus points they will have won with neutral fans after tonights result but he was not surprised by the way the Green-Whites played: "We've often proven that we can hold our own on the international stage but tonight was a super game. We deserved to win because of the manner in which we used our chances in the vital phases, we really worked for that. This game will give us plenty of confidence for the next tie."

 

Johnnie Muldoon

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