Rossi revels in Lazio performance

S.S. Lazio coach Delio Rossi felt that his team justified their UEFA Champions League status after two goals by Goran Pandev earned them a point in a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid CF, a view seconded by visiting coach Bernd Schuster.

Delio Rossi, Lazio coach
I thank our fans for their support in such an important game. My players were too tense at the beginning of the game, we did not manage to play our usual football in the early stages because we were too excited. I tried to calm my players down before the start but obviously I didn't manage to do it enough. We suffered a lot during the whole game because Madrid have more quality than us, however if we play our best football we can compete against any team. Tonight we proved that we deserve to play in the Champions League, I told my players that, and to go out there and just give their best. I'm very satisfied with their performance.

Bernd Schuster, Madrid coach
I'm not angry or disappointed because an away draw is a positive result, even if we looked like we would earn three points when we were 2-1 up. It was an open game and the draw is a fair result. We lacked a bit of calm after taking the lead for the first time and made mistakes in keeping possession of the ball. We have played a lot of games recently so it is understandable that we will not always be 100 per cent focused. However, we tried to score the third goal when we were at 2-2 and that pleased me. I have to say that Lazio played a great match. They are young and lack experience but they are very determined. The atmosphere was also very impressive with a packed stadium that gave them tremendous support. Lazio have a chance to qualify but after tonight's performance we have to take Olympiacos [CFP, winners over Werder Bremen] very seriously.