Julen Lopetegui spoke about the significance of Michail Antonio’s morale boost to the team and his current condition, highlighting the emotional lift it provided before their victory.
Julen Lopetegui said “He is not in his best moment but he kept his humour. It was a special moment for us. I think we have a lot of reason to win matches but this was one reason more. He’s alive so we are happy.”
Tomas Soucek reflected on his personal connection to Antonio and the impact of the situation on him and his teammates, especially after scoring in their match.
Tomas Soucek said “He’s been here since I came here. He is really my favourite. I said it would be tough for me to play without him. I was so scared what was going to happen. It was a really tough week for him, his family and us.”