player Villareal Raul Albiol He joined the media after losing to Liverpool at La Cerámica. The defender regretted his elimination but highlighted the effort of the whole team: “The effort of the team makes us very sad for the people. It couldn’t be, but the team’s effort was incredible. We tried to the end. 2-1 hurt us a lot and they excelled in this second half”.

Albiol said the physical factor was important and Liverpool maintained their strength better in the second half: “We fought for the fans and it’s sad that we weren’t able to give them the final they deserved. We paid for the first part, the wear and tear. They’re a physical and fast team. They found themselves 2-1, which was a strong blow for us. What more could we ask for. A sad night but also unforgettable for us. If there was overtime, it would be one more long game. We had done the hard thing, but now it was time to move on. In the second part, they suppressed it more. We didn’t know how to react after 2-1, the team was tired. Liverpool is among the best. He has great physical form and a good bench. We couldn’t keep up with the rhythm of the first episode and it killed us.”

Finally, the veteran defender highlighted Submarino’s impressive progress this Champions League and thanked the fans for their interest:Our path through the champions was incredible. There have been many magical nights. It couldn’t be, but that’s hard to see. It’s been 16 years since the semi-finals. It’s time to continue with enthusiasm to experience more nights like this. Time to thank the fans“.

“People should be proud of this team”

Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno Despite the eliminations, he was very happy with the progress in the Champions League. He pointed out that it should be a source of pride. “I think people should be proud of this team, this shield, this club,” he told Movistar, adding that they said goodbye to the tournament “with their heads held high” and now they need to focus. In the next four games in LaLiga.

“The team believed until the end that we didn’t give a lost ball.. The match came to where we wanted with 2-0, but the team wanted to score another goal. “We knew we were taking risks to press upwards, but in the second half it was realized that we couldn’t keep up with the pace.”

“His first goal hurt us, a bit demoralized. We have to congratulate Liverpool and thank the fans who have believed in us since they came to the stadium.”