Champions League - No Wenger sympathy for Rafa

Eurosport - Wed, 25 Nov 08:38:00 2009

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had little sympathy for Rafael Benitez's Liverpool after their early exit from the Champions League.

2008-2009 Arsenal Arsene Wenger - 0

Arsenal 2-0 Standard Liege

Arsene Wenger: "I believe you look at your own performances and if Liverpool are out, somebody else strong is in. When you depend on the results of another team you are in a bad position. They did the job but you always favour Fiorentina at home against Lyon, especially when they are on a good run and have an opportunity to qualify for the first time in the history of the club if they win at home." On the win over Standard: "The first half was good, with lots of fluent movement, but after we lacked a bit of urgency in the final third because we eased off... There are two competitions in the Champions League, one is a championship, one is a cup. We move into that cup stage now, and that's very different psychologically. Every minute now becomes important. We have to adapt to that."

Laszlo Boloni: "We were prepared for the pressure Arsenal would put on us, and we tried to have more density in midfield, which is not easy with the one-touch football they play. However, they could not score from the chances they had in front of goal... But with all the injuries we had, and the quality of the opponent we cannot give the ball away. If you do that, it is very frustrating."

Debrecen 0-1 Liverpool

Rafael Benitez: "(Not qualifying) was our own fault in the end, the late goals we have conceded along the way have cost us. We have been so good in the last few years that maybe people think it is easy to qualify in all competitions. Because of that, people think we can do it every season. But you cannot always, now we have a massive game on Sunday at Everton and we have to be ready for it... We have to be disappointed, we knew we had to win and we did that. You cannot change what happened in Florence, but at least we did our job... Our next goal is to do well in the Europa League."

Andras Herczeg: "Our passes were inaccurate throughout the whole match. We made a terrible mistake before the goal, but that is football. We are proud of ourselves that made life hard for teams of a calibre like Liverpool, Lyon and Fiorentina. We are desperate to get a point at the last match away to Lyon."

Rangers 0-2 Stuttgart

Walter Smith: "We've not been good enough when the expectation level has been for us to go and win a game. We haven't been good enough and we have to take that on board... (Our home record) has been our biggest problem over the three home matches we've had considering the fact we've taken points and looked comfortable away. We have never looked that way at home."

Markus Babbel: "I'm happy with the way we played. We were aggressive and we won our one-on-ones. The only little hitch was that we maybe could have scored more... We had a good performance and it was very difficult for Rangers to create chances."

Barcelona 2-0 Internazionale

Pep Guardiola: " I congratulate my team on how they have performed. We have taken a very important step. Now we must finish it in Kiev. We depend only on ourselves... It is clear that I feel safer with Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic) and Leo (Lionel Messi) on the field, but there was a risk of losing both for a long time. I understand that people care, because they're two great players. But on this squad, all players offer enthusiasm and very different things."

Jose Mourinho: "Barca were spectacular. Obviously Pedro is not Messi but he is a very good player. The story changed a little bit in the second half but in the end they were much better than us. They are so good at passing the ball around at pace... But we can still win the tournament. Real Madrid think they are favourites, Chelsea think they are favourites, Barca think they are favourites. Being beaten by them doesn't mean we can't beat them in the later stages."

Unirea Urziceni 1-0 Sevilla

Dan Petrescu: "We are happy with the attitude and the result, but we're not quite there. The pity is that the Stuttgart won and must draw or win in the last game... This has been a major victory for Romanian football against a team that can reach the quarter-finals. We have shown that when a team plays and has a good attitude they can win against a big rival."

Manolo Jimenez: "The stats count in favour of Sevilla has been overwhelming and we controlled the game, but the score is what counts... In football what counts is the result, we should congratulate Unirea, but by possession, play we were better and sometimes the result is unfair, but you have to score because that's what matters. Unirea's goal was an own goal and we had, among other chances, two that hit the woodwork."

Fiorentina 1-0 Lyon

Cesare Prandelli: "We wanted to make history, were coming off a defeat and risked making life difficult for ourselves after doing so well... There was tension, but we wanted to keep calm and after all can do the same things in Europe that we do in Serie A. Right now I think it is the happiest moment of my career. We entered the history books today and from now on I would like to start writing new pages."

Claude Puel: "We hoped we'd get to half-time at 0-0 becuase we knew there would be opportunities in the second half... Our play in the last half-hour was excellent."

Rubin Kazan 0-0 Dynamo Kiev

Kurban Berdyev: "As we had expected, the game was a tough one. We can speak of the missed chances but the result corresponds to the game. Now much will depend on the result of match in Barcelona."

Valery Gazzayev: "The game was full of fighting and the players did not spare themselves. We were close to the victory and it's a pity that we have not won."

Eurosport

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  1. Liverpool were not up to their standards,due to injury­ and so forth. but i sincerely hope they will bounce­ back to win the EPL this season.With ruud van nistelroy­ joining them ,it will be wonderful to watch all the­ flying dutchmen.they need to tighten up the central­ defenders,agger should be playing more games.tq form­ liverpool 1975.

    From mohanan, on Fri 27 Nov 3:24AM
  2. I'm backing Rafa benietz & Liverpool FC i­ don't see them to blame at all.
    It is American­ owners who are to blame because of the mess that they­ have caused at Liverpool & plus injury problems as­ well, I have a great respect towards other premeirship­ teams in the premeirship they are fighting back at a­ team or teams like Manchester utd & Chelsea if you­ looked at the prem table you can see the difference Iam­ marking my words by xmas Liverpool will be in the top­ four If chelsea, Man utd, Arsenal & Man city slip­ up.

    From E, on Thu 26 Nov 9:46PM
  3. I'm backing Rafa benietz & Liverpool FC i­ don't see them to blame at all.
    It is American­ owners who are to blame because of the mess that they­ have caused at Liverpool & plus injury problems as­ well, I have a great respect towards other premeirship­ teams in the premeirship they are fighting back at a­ team or teams like Manchester utd & Chelsea if you­ looked at the prem table you can see the difference Iam­ marking my words by xmas Liverpool will be in the top­ four If chelsea, Man utd, Arsenal & Man city slip­ up.

    From E, on Thu 26 Nov 9:41PM
  4. More yellow journalism from Yahoo! Nameless­ hacks--never a byline or contact email--twisting and­ manipulating the news with impunity.I agree with­ comment 83,you are a disgrace.

    From david.a6509, on Thu 26 Nov 9:00AM
  5. funny , remind me what arsenal have won in five yrs lol

    From Lesley, on Thu 26 Nov 6:38AM
  6. Andy murray has a @#$% like a horses mouth nd henman­ lick the bittersweet juices that lie withn as it­ contains special vitimans......further more murray­ wouldnt score in a whorehouse of fat birds!

    From Jack, on Wed 25 Nov 7:13PM
  7. Arsene Wenger words in this article has been grossly­ twisted by this article. Asa suscriber to Arsenal tv, i­ think YAHoo is a disgrace.

    From ridahjake, on Wed 25 Nov 6:00PM
  8. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:15PM
  9. 69.Yeah stupid Arse Wenger, cos Liverpool players­­ don't dive ( Gerrad has diving medals and Ngo is­ rappidly learning) like Arsenal players. With Liverpool­ FC­ out of the CL, there is no hope for any British­ team­ making it to the ssemi-final this season. To be­ honest­ Man U are rubbish, Chelsea over ambitious and­ Arsenal­ not good enough. Period, Spanish or Italian­ side to win­ CL

    and LIVERFOOL TO WIN SOD ALL

    From Alex F, on Wed 25 Nov 5:15PM
  10. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:14PM
  11. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:14PM
  12. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:11PM
  13. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:10PM
  14. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:09PM
  15. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:08PM
  16. Liverpool are really having a bad seasom. But i want­ them to borrow a leaf from the mighty gunners.i mean­ "keep the faith"

    From elekimad, on Wed 25 Nov 5:07PM
  17. Thanking God for Gunner;s qualification in the­ cl,however we are praying seriously for the club in­ premiership this year...DISCARD Arsenal @ your peril.IN­ GOD WE TRUST ,ARSENE IS OUR GOOD GUIDE.GUNNERS 4 LIFE.

    From Godwin, on Wed 25 Nov 5:04PM
  18. Thanking God for Gunner;s qualification in the­ cl,however we are praying seriously for the club in­ premiership this year...DISCARD Arsenal @ your peril.IN­ GOD WE TRUST ,ARSENE IS OUR GOOD GUIDE.GUNNERS 4 LIFE.

    From Godwin, on Wed 25 Nov 4:57PM
  19. Godwin you are full of @#$%, bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From ekechukwude, on Wed 25 Nov 4:40PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Ares Wenger is a french @#$%

    From Godwin, on Wed 25 Nov 3:34PM
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