News Focus
- SC Freiburg lost 3-0 to Aston Villa in Wednesday’s Europa League final.
- Striker Igor Matanović thanked the travelling supporters for their loyalty throughout the season.
- The Croatian forward admitted the team lost focus after conceding the second goal.
- Freiburg were attempting to win the first major trophy in the club’s history.
SC Freiburg forward Igor Matanović has expressed his deep gratitude to the club’s supporters after their heavy defeat to Aston Villa in the Europa League final. The Bundesliga side fell to a 3-0 loss against the English outfit, ending their dream of securing a first major title.
Speaking to UEFA following the clash, the Croatian attacker paid tribute to the fans who travelled to back the team. He revealed that the players were desperate to win the competition for their loyal supporters.
“They push us forward and stand with us every single day. When you walk through the city, you see exactly what this club means to these people,” Matanović said.
“We are very proud to have fans like this, and we truly wanted to give them something special in return. I believe we delivered a good season, but we certainly wished to achieve more for them.”
Matanović also reflected on the performance on the pitch, suggesting Freiburg competed strongly until Aston Villa doubled their lead. He conceded that the team struggled to maintain composure afterwards.
“We had a very good run in the tournament. However, we must be honest and say we played well today only until the second goal went in. After that moment, we started to lose simple balls and our focus was not at one hundred percent,” he explained.