“Incredibly sad” | OneFootball

Board member for sport Markus Krösche, head coach Dino Toppmöller and captain Robin Koch want to put Tuesday’s cup exit behind them and build on the team’s showing against Borussia Dortmund.

Board member for sport Markus Krösche: “Getting knocked out in unfortunate fashion on penalties is obviously extremely frustrating, but I think we produced a very, very good performance, particularly in the second half. We were also the more proactive team in extra time and had the better chances, but didn’t score the goal we deserved. The lads brought a high level of intensity to the pitch and played very, very good football. It’s incredibly sad for them that they didn’t get what they deserved.” 

Head coach Dino Toppmöller: “The luckier team won – we were the more proactive and better side. It was a great cup battle. We wanted to bring that energy to the pitch. What the lads did on the pitch and the fans did in the stands was among the best we’ve seen all season. I’m heading home feeling incredibly proud of the lads. The effort they put in is unbelievable. I told them beforehand to believe in their qualities and bring that youthful energy to the pitch. I now have to pick them back up because I don’t think we deserved to be knocked out. It’s not going to get any easier in the coming weeks. We’ll pick ourselves up and keep going.”

Captain Robin Koch: “It’s extremely frustrating, the lads are devastated in the dressing room. We produced a top performance, everyone on the pitch and in the stands wanted to win. We deserved more in extra time too – we continued to push forward and scored a goal which was marginally offside. Luck is always involved in penalty shoot-outs, and unfortunately it wasn’t on our side. Once the dust has settled, we can take a lot from our performance over 120 minutes. We can always count on our fans. To get that kind of support after the game means a lot to the team.”