“We’ll fight to the last drop of sweat to win the Champions League” | OneFootball

The roller hockey team secured a place in the Champions League final after beating OC Barcelos in the semi-finals (3-3, 3-1 on penalties), and Paulo Freitas highlighted “the group’s ability to fight back into the game more than once” and to “honour the Club by winning and securing a place in the decisive match”. “We will be here, with our chests out, to fight until the very last drop of our sweat to win the Champions League,” said the coach of a group of “outstanding athletes” that “lives everything as a team”.

Match summary“This is the fourth objective achieved in this competition and now we want to recover and prepare for the final so we can reach the fifth. It was a match worthy of a Champions League semi-final, in which both teams showed each other a great deal of respect. We did not start the game well and allowed OC Barcelos to feel comfortable in their model, waiting for us and breaking in transition. They took the lead, which was something we did not want. Our objective was to control the scoreboard, and we knew that if we did, we could face fewer difficulties. Even so, the team showed great ability and enormous quality to get back into the game. We came back into the game more than once, survived two underplays, and believed in the process. We understood where they could hurt us, we were fantastic in terms of discipline, and the game remained very balanced, with both teams trembling a little at certain moments. It’s a Champions League semi-final and there is a lot at stake. Maybe that’s why those involved are not always able to play with complete freedom.”

A win for everyone“Obviously, I take enormous satisfaction in being able to count on the quality of outstanding athletes, and of course when we work on attack, one of our goals is to bring out individual quality. But we cannot forget the way we pressed the opposing team, forcing them into mistakes, so that individual brilliance could then stand out. Gonçalo Alves made the difference because Gonçalo is an exceptional player, obviously, but it could just as easily have been anyone else. For me, it would have been exactly the same. The important thing is that we kept our composure, held on to the result, honoured the Club, and won. FC Porto will be in the Champions League final and tomorrow we will be here, with our chests out, against whoever comes out of the next match, to fight until the very last drop of our sweat to win the Champions League.”

Unity is strength“I repeat, Gonçalo Alves is an exceptional athlete and player and has above-average quality. We know Gonçalo can help us at many moments in the game, sometimes pulling rabbits out of the hat, as the saying goes. The only thing we have to understand is that we did collective work that allowed individual quality to shine through. Gonçalo was decisive again from set pieces, as were Carlo Di Benedetto and Edu Lamas. This team does not individualise the good things, nor does it individualise any mistakes that may arise. We experience everything as a team. Now, of course, for me it is a pleasure to have Gonçalo Alves, Carlo Di Benedetto, Rafa, Hélder Nunes, Telmo Pinto, Máli, Leonardo Pais, Pol Manrubia and Ezequiel Mena. I’m not forgetting anyone.”

The decisive strategy“We needed a different kind of game and we realised that the moves Gonçalo Alves was creating were being defended well by OC Barcelos, who were crowding the central channel and stretching the wide areas. When Gonçalo came on in the final part, I told him exactly that and instructed him to look for the flank and then cut back through the middle, so as to take OC Barcelos out of their comfort zone. We wanted a team with greater mobility, understanding that Gonçalo would be an important player in that dynamic.”

Benfica or Barcelona“I have no preference, and it would be a tremendous lack of respect on my part to choose between the two clubs that are about to face each other, two extremely well-managed teams. May the best team win and may whoever it is tomorrow perhaps have a little less energy, so that we can get a boost here and win the Champions League. Although there is no such thing as fatigue when playing a Champions League final. The players recover much more easily. I believe it will be a good match and a great roller hockey spectacle.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.