© EuroFootball.com
In the Champions League final, the losing "Liverpool" club coach Rafael Benitez stated that his students had to acknowledge "Milan's" advantage due to missed opportunities, while team captain Steven Gerrard expressed hope to return to the final next year.
On Wednesday, "Milan" secured victory in Athens, Greece, with two goals from Filippo Inzaghi, while Dirk Kuyt's goal in the last minute was not enough to help "Liverpool".
"In the first half, we played very well, but we were unlucky due to a missed goal. We pressed the opponents and left space, which they were able to exploit. We tried to keep the ball as much as possible, but we had to take advantage of the opportunities we had," said R. Benitez.
"Liverpool" coach was also unhappy that the referee did not play the full additional time but admitted that "Milan" deservedly won: "It's not an excuse (for losing - ed.), as we lost to a good team with high-level players."
England's team captain S. Gerrard was satisfied with his and his team's efforts and said he would try to get revenge next season: "We can be proud of ourselves. We performed well reaching the final, and I know we will play in one of those finals again. We need to recover, rest well in the summer, and start everything from scratch next season. We have already achieved a lot, and that won't disappear."
"I think we controlled the game in the first half, but not as much as we wanted in the second. However, we should not forget that we played against a high-level team with high-level players. We need to give respect to "Milan" - they won, and probably deserved it. Before the game, I said that small details and luck will decide everything, and "Milan" had that today," analyzed S. Gerrard.
"We still need to strengthen and improve the team's composition. The coach and club officials know this, so the summer will be interesting. Today we must not forget to appreciate the boys - they gave everything, but it just wasn't our day," said "Liverpool" defender.
Meanwhile, team defender and second captain Jamie Carragher agreed that the opponents were stronger but also admitted that they made a fatal mistake against "Milan" by inaccurately passing the ball for their first goal.
"I think the best team won. The first half was even, but the missed goal before the break was a decisive blow. In the episode before that, I didn't think whether to hold the ball or clear it away from the goal - I should have played better," confessed the player.
