What was your assessment of the game?
“Well, I think like in the last final, the Carabao Cup, no regrets. I told the team I am proud. I was super proud before and happy before the match to arrive with this group. We were sure we were competitive and we could make life very difficult for Liverpool. We did it again. We struggled in the first 15 minutes but then we were excellent through the match. It’s now 240 minutes of final time and we played 0-0 against maybe the most dangerous attacking team in the world. We created a lot of chances and we deserved them, as they deserved theirs as well. Then again we lose on penalties. We are disappointed, of course, and we are sad. But at the same time proud because we left anything that we need [on the pitch]. I was sure we would win today. I was sure before and during the match that momentum is today on our side. I was sure until the very last minute. Unfortunately, I was not right. We had to digest it and keep going. It’s life in sports.”
What happened with Timo Werner and when did you find out Kai Havertz couldn’t play?
“Kai did not train yesterday because of hamstring problems. So he didn’t train yesterday as he thought if he trained he would injure himself. So we tried everything, left him out, tried everything medically. We did the last test today in the morning and he was not better, it was not possible. Timo felt uncomfortable in the warm-up and said he can’t play. That was hamstring as well.”
Impressive defensive performance but it looked like Thiago picked up a knock early on and had to play through?
“Yeah, of course, no options today. I was clear in some moments we would suffer and unfortunately, we suffered in the first 15 minutes. We looked nervous and tense, and we played like we had one fewer day of recovery. We had an away game against Leeds on Wednesday and then 120 minutes, it was clear we would suffer against the team in minutes. But we recovered and managed to stay in the match, maybe because of an excellent goalkeeping performance from Edou, and this can happen. Then we dug in and got better and better. We got more confident, found solutions, and created chances. Everybody is in pain, there is no way we escape this game without pain.”
Did you find there was any added pressure to deliver a trophy to impress the new owners?
“No, no. We tried to impress the way we do and we do it with full commitment and passion. This is what we do. We play to the very limit with one of the best teams in the world at the moment. We did it five times in a row against them and we did it again today, so I was pretty impressed on the sidelines with how both teams played a final. So I was pretty impressed and I didn’t think about impressing somebody else. We wanted to impress ourselves and take what we thought we deserved given the circumstances in which we arrived here. We thought we deserved it and we were ready to take it, but we didn’t take it, unfortunately.”
Was Ruben Loftus-Cheek injured, is that why he came off?
“Because we took him off? That was purely for penalties. Ruben does not have a good history statistically and Ross has. So it was purely down to the penalties.”
Going to be difficult to lift the players for Thursday?
“Harder but impossible. For sure, harder, of course. Maybe the best way is to be honest. We have two days off and then we need to prepare. The season is not finished and we have goals to reach in the Premier League and this is sometimes hard. It is what it is. Life goes on and it will go on on Thursday at Stamford Bridge. We still have things to play for and it will be a bit harder without a trophy and the confidence of a big win.”
How close do you think you are to closing the gap to Liverpool in the Premier League?
“I think we proved four times this season that we can produce peak performances to compete with them at this kind of level. It showed in all results that we deserved and they could’ve gone in our way and could’ve gone in their way. We produced these peak performances against them. The difference for me throughout the season is they can do it on Wednesday again, and then Saturday, and then Wednesday. And we struggle. They have the biggest squad available, they arrived with everyone except Fabinho. And they arrived with everybody fresh and in a rhythm for a final like this. We struggled. We had four players out, N’Golo Kante had one training session at 50% intensity, Mateo Kovacic plays with an ankle that I didn’t know could fit into a shoe. So this is what it is and this is where the gap comes. They can produce these kinds of performances more often. They build this team for many years now and have improved it. So this is where the gap is. The sanctions didn’t make it easier for us to close it, will not make it easier for us. That is why given the circumstances, where we come from, after we finish the season we will see.”
Is it too early to sum up your view of the season?
“It heavily depends on what we do in the next two games and where we end up. Then I will give you my honest opinion about it. I think we reached now consecutive domestic finally – and we reached the FA Cup final last year – and while I will not promise victories, I will promise that we will deliver, heart, passion, commitment, and living up to the fullest and having no regrets. This is what we do and we will not stop doing it. But like I say, they have an awful lot to play for, have everyone available, and they built this team for a long time. They are very, very consistent and we are in the opposite situation at the moment. We have the sanctions, players are leaving, and so to arrive in a final like this, to play in a final like this, and of course, I am wearing a Chelsea shirt, but to produce a performance like this – and I’m not saying they did not – I thought we deserved it a bit more maybe given how we arrived. Unfortunately, I have nothing to prove it in my hands.”
Jurgen Klopp said he has mentality monsters in his team and that you have them in yours, does that give you hope that next year you can win trophies?
“I think we have everything it takes to win trophies. We proved it – and one of your colleagues wanted to convince me that we had a trophyless season if I heard it right – but we have the Club World Cup and European Super Cup. I don’t feel sorry that this was the beginning of the season and winter. We did everything to win these two matches and ok, we have to accept we have an opponent and they deserve to win these matches and they did it. As I said, maybe it suits us [cup competitions] given the run in Champions League last season and FA Cup last season, and now again we were good in Champions League and was strong in the domestic cups. We can produce peak performances and we have the mentality in the club to shape the mentality of the players to have these peak performances but over the last years, Man City and Liverpool have proved you need to show that at a level of consistency we don’t have and that we have struggled with. So we need to find it, build it, create it. It’s a bit harder given the last months.”
