Thomas, what was your reaction to today’s game, it was a fantastic response from your side?
“We were so strong from the very start and it made it even harder to be 2-0 down because we had the feeling we should be 2-0 up. It makes things against Liverpool super, super tough. It’s a big match against a big opponent full of individual quality and energy, so it was a big response. Given the circumstances and where we come from, how we played was exceptional. We had 22 high ball recoveries and chances in transition. We could’ve been even more clinical to create more. Coming back from 2-0 was immense and there were no worries except the result. It was a brilliant match of football.”
You’ve got a meeting with Romelu Lukaku tomorrow, what do you want from that for him to return against Tottenham?
“I understand why you ask the question but I will not answer it. I can’t tell you what I want from the meeting that is happening behind closed doors tomorrow. I can’t speak out publicly and I will not.”
Was there an element of taking a stand against Romelu’s comments, showing these kind of comments won’t be tolerated?
“It is not Chelsea like but it is also not the worst thing in the world. It is not the first time an interview causes some noise that nobody needs but we can handle it, I don’t feel personally attacked and I don’t feel personally angry. The noise was too big. On Friday I thought we could handle it, then on Saturday there were new statements out there and it got too big. It was too much and we lost the focus for the match. We then took the decision to delay that decision and delay the process to look in deeper and to also protect Romelu from a rushed decision because we need to speak to him, read the full interview, stay calm and not lose our head. It was simply the decision to protect the preparation for a match like this because there was too much noise and that’s why I took the decision. It was clear he would not play and from there on we had a bit more focus on the match.”
If the outcome of the meeting with Romelu is satisfactory, does that mean he can play against Tottenham?
“He is our player and will stay our player. We will always protect our players and when we take certain decisions, first we have to evaluate the situation and not listen to the media or the pressure. But we want to understand what he said and why he said it. This is the meeting tomorrow. From there, we will take the decision and if the decision is he is good to go on Wednesday, this is the decision. If it’s not, it’s not. I can’t tell you right now because we need to talk and understand the situation better. From there we go. Once the situation is clear, there’s no doubt he will stay our player and we will also protect our player.”
What did you say to the players about Lukaku, did you ask their opinion?
“I don’t take decisions in the office or around my thoughts. I take decisions for the team and I listen to them. I hear their opinion, what they think and then I make my decisions once I hear them out. It is their club, their team and it is not a personal thing from me to decide only on my thoughts. We have a squad who we protect, which is strong in belief and behaviours. This is how we take decisions, not only this time, but we regularly speak to the five or six players to get their opinion and inside view. We want a clearer understanding of the situation and take a decision on a bigger foundation.”
