Pellegrini

“It was a fairly balanced first half, although Madrid did have a couple of clear opportunities.  We performed brilliantly in the second half, maintained the lead, which would have been greater than 3-2 had it not been for the mistake we made.”
 
“It’s really important for us to enjoy this moment, rounding off a fantastic year.  We’re now looking ahead to the second part of the season.  The holidays are a great time to recharge our batteries and regain our physical and mental strength.  We’ve worked extremely hard, which really shows on the pitch.  It’s crucial that we maintain this same level of motivation and ambition.”

“It’s an absolute joy to end the year on such a high.  It’s been a fantastic 12 months for us; we qualified for the Champions League, finished first in the group, now we’re again in Champions positions in the League, and defeated Madrid here tonight, after so many years.  It’s an amazing victory for us.”

“It’s a very difficult decision.  Personally I didn’t think we’d ever have this difficulty with UEFA.  We’ll see how it pans out, though it’s too early to say at the moment.  Playing the second half of the season with such a lack of motivation as a result of this situation, would be terrible for the Club.  We’re obviously concerned, but prepared for whatever lies ahead.  We’re still waiting to find out more information about the decision.”