After Lyon’s return to the throne in the Women’s Champions League Final, the fans, coaches and analysts looked back on the match, where most chose Barcelona as a favourite for the title. But Lyon’s triumph is no surprise, considering the history of the most successful European club.
What did the protagonists say about the game?
Sonia Bompastor, Lyon coach: “My team talk was very easy. This is the most beautiful match and beautiful competition a club can dream of playing. So you need to be up to scratch … It’s the first time [someone has won this competition as a player and a coach]; we are making history. But what’s important is that it was the tenth final for the club and a chance to get an eighth title. It’s a victory I want to savour, but it’s not me who should be in the spotlight; it’s my players and the staff. I am very demanding, but my staff support me and help me with my emotions so it is a collective victory.”
Amandine Henry, Player of the match: “I could see a space [for the goal] and I went for it! I tried my luck and I saw exactly where it was going. I didn’t even wait for it to go into the top corner before I was celebrating! I do like these type of games. This gets into my core; I love games like this. I also have some fantastic team-mates around me. They make it easier. The whole team has won this trophy today.”
🔢 Stats from the #UWCL final battle in Turin 🧐#UWCLfinal pic.twitter.com/tMVnFBZswJ
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) May 22, 2022
Wendie Renard, Lyon captain: “[On whether Lyon were underdogs] That’s what journalists said. We wanted to keep on writing our story and we had things to show. Tonight we showed what we could do and we did it well because we’re leaving with the trophy.”
Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: “We knew that they would put a lot of pressure on us. The first goal, an astonishing goal, made us very confused. We were a bit out of place. We knew the key to the game was to control their transitions and for some minutes we weren’t able to do that. We had to go deeper and that gave them a lot of energy. We tried to get a quick equaliser, but at 3-1 we were way behind. But another team were playing and we want to congratulate them – they are an amazing team.”
via uefa.com