London (dpa)
Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino defended his players, after they were subjected to sharp criticism from Gary Neville, after losing to Liverpool in the English Football League Cup final.
Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville commented in the analysis studio on Sky Sports: “In extra time, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp’s children performed in front of blue bottles worth a billion pounds.”
Pochettino replied, “I did not hear what Neville said, but I think the ages of the players on both teams are similar.” The Argentine coach added, “But I have a good relationship with Gary Neville, and I do not know how to deal with what he said, but I respect his point of view, and I do not know how to describe what happened, but I am certainly proud of my team players, because they made a great effort.”
The Chelsea coach continued, “We are a young team, and it cannot be compared to Liverpool, just because it finished the match with a number of promising players. Comparison is impossible and Neville knows that.”
Chelsea's coach added, “I think it would be unfair to talk about my team in this tone if he said that, but we will remain strong and believe in this project, and see what we can do in the future.” Mauricio Pochettino believes that his players need to feel pain after losing this title, to realize the importance of winning a championship, and that they need to work better to improve many aspects of performance. The Chelsea coach noted, “Competing against a team that has been competing for major titles in the last six or seven years is an important step.”
He also noted, “I remember that three or four years after Liverpool lost the Champions League and European League titles, they continued to believe in their project, look forward, and work strongly on the future until they reached what they have achieved.”
Pochettino concluded his statements, “This is a good example. If we want to challenge a team the size of Liverpool, we should not feel frustrated after losing the cup, but rather it is a lesson for us to continue believing in the work we are doing.”
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