Patrick Rahmen, the coach of the Swiss team Young Boys, who eliminated Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League play-off round, said he was proud of his players.
Rahmen made a statement at the press conference held after the return match, which they won 1-0, at RAMS Park.
The Swiss coach, who reminded that they beat Galatasaray 3-2 in the first match and 1-0 in the return match, said, “I am proud of my team. We had some defeats after the difficult weeks in Switzerland. We have been on the rise in recent weeks. We displayed an extremely impressive performance against Galatasaray at home and away. They were all present in the match, they evaluated the opportunities and areas well. We missed chances in the first half. We remained calm during the half-time. Despite Galatasaray’s pressure in the second half, they could not create clear goal opportunities. We turned the game in our favor by going on the counter-attack at the right time. I am proud of the attitude we have displayed in recent weeks. Our performance in the last 2 matches also made me very happy.”
Rahmen, who stated that the atmosphere in Istanbul and the water bottles thrown onto the field did not affect them, said, “We cannot say that it had a positive effect. We understood that it was a very heated environment. We were in a very excited atmosphere. The tension escalated in the last moments. In the end, we found the right rhythm in the game and did not deviate from our game plan.”
Rahmen, when asked about his players’ actions that cooled down the game, said, “That’s your opinion. I wouldn’t describe it as ‘cooling down the game’. We played very dominantly in the first half. In the second half, the offensive weapons of a strong team like Galatasaray slowed down our pace in the first half. We had to withstand the pressure for 10-15 minutes. That’s what we did. We didn’t let them come to our goal very often, and we were dangerous in counter-attack positions. I can’t say we cooled down the game.”
“I THINK WE DESERVE THE RESULTS”
Patrick Rahmen said they deserved to win both games.
The 55-year-old technical director, who stated that they analyzed Galatasaray well, said, “I saw many of Galatasaray’s strengths. We saw that when pressure is applied in defense, we can win the ball and create positions. Galatasaray has an offensive style of play. We tried to escape to the gaps. We used most of our opportunities in both matches. Our position quality in the first match was quite high. I think we deserved the results we got in both matches.”
Rahmen reminded that they were not the favorites in the matchup and said, “We performed quite well in both matches. Many people did not expect this from our team. We did not start the season well. Our performance increased afterwards, but the results were not as we wanted. We also entered the cup match at the right time. We focused on the two Champions League matches by staying away from the league atmosphere. We were sure we would succeed, but we were also aware that we were facing the best team. We had to show high performance in both matches. And we did that.”
“IT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT DRAW”
Patrick Rahmen stated that Galatasaray is the toughest opponent they could face.
Rahmen, who drew attention to the quality of the yellow-red team’s squad, said, “Galatasaray was a top-level opponent for us when we looked at their 11 on the field, their football qualities and experience. We did a great job. This was the most difficult draw we could have made. I am proud that we left here today. There were very loud and amazing fans. Footballers live for such matches every day. It makes you happier to leave such matches with a victory.”
