The Portuguese Paulo Fonseca, coach of Roma, assured this Thursday that Sevilla were “better team” than the Roman team, after losing 2-0 against the Spanish team Julen Lopetegui in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Sevilla, five times champion of this tournament, gave Rome no option in the match played in Duisburg (Germany) and got into the quarterfinals with goals from Sergio Reguilón (m.22) and Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri (m.44).
“I'm very disappointed, we deserved to lose because Sevilla are a better team than us right now, he played much better and you have to accept his superiority. It was difficult playing against them. The main person in charge is me, without excuses, but the reality is that Sevilla was better“Fonseca said in statements to” Sky Sport “television.
Despite Bosnian captain Edin Dzeko harshly criticizing his team's approach on Thursday, Fonseca stressed that he would make the same tactical decisions again. “I would make the same decisions. The team won almost every last game (7 of 8), we were playing well and there was no reason to change. Still, Sevilla was better. It is difficult to accept, but we must accept reality, “he said.
Dzeko: “They have devoured us from all points of view”
Bosnian Edin Dzeko, striker for Roma, openly criticized his team on Thursday for the 2-0 setback suffered in the knockout stages of the Europa League against a Seville that, he said, “has devoured from all points of view” the capital city.
“I disliked everything. I think we were never in the game, from the first to the last minute. They have devoured us from all points of view, technical, game preparation. We were never in the game, “said Dzeko at the end of the game, speaking to” Sky Sport. “They pressured us and we wanted to play from the defense and you couldn't. I think we did not understand that it was difficult to get the ball from the defense. We try to do it and never reach the rival goal, “he added.
The Bosnian striker was blunt showing his annoyance at his team's approach and encouraged the club to wonder “why” these things are happening to him. “If we see this match, we still have a long way to go to make a quality jump in Europe. We must ask ourselves questions, everyone. Any other question. There are people who must think about why this happens. I'm here to play, I'm disappointed that we didn't have a good game. It hurts“he assured.
Pellegrini: “Sevilla played a great game, they deserved to win”
Lorenzo Pellegrini, Roma's midfielder, considered this Thursday that Sevilla, which beat the capital team 2-0 and eliminated him in the eighth finals of the Europa League, “he made a great match and deserved to win“
“They had a great game. They deserved to win and it's correct. We are disappointed, very angry. At this time it is better to reflect and not talk“Pellegrini, vice captain of Rome, said in statements to” Sky Sport “television.
“We prepared the game as we did in Serie A and we had done well, but in the field Sevilla played a great game and it is correct that they have won“He added. The Italian midfielder acknowledged that Roma faced this Europa League with great ambitions and that it had the desire to demonstrate something that finally could not.