Lăcătuş looks for Steaua response

New FC Steaua Bucureşti coach Marius Lăcătuş said a series of errors had cost his side dearly as a goal in each half from Renato helped Sevilla FC to three Group H points in Romania - a result which gave the Spanish side a five-point cushion in second place in the section and eliminated their opponents. Despite his disappointment, Lăcătuş quickly turned his thoughts towards the future while Sevilla counterpart Manuel Jiménez – who was also taking charge in the UEFA Champions League for the first time – found satisfaction in a job well done.

Marius Lăcătuş, Steaua coach
We all wanted to get a positive result but unfortunately didn't manage it, due mainly to the quality of our opponents. My players tried hard but rarely managed to threaten and made several individual and collective mistakes. When you play against a team like Sevilla, who press very hard, and offer them gifts, defeat comes as a logical consequence. In the first half we played too many sideways and backwards passes without going towards goal.

We started the second half well but the second goal stopped us from achieving something special. Now we have to think of the future; I'm optimistic but it's imperative the players react quickly, because we cannot go on this way. They will have to change their attitude and their way of thinking. Our chances of finishing third in this group are very slim but as long as they exist we have the duty to go for it. Regardless, it's important to play well again and to find the best way of reviving our players. Otherwise it will not be good at all.

Manuel Jiménez, Sevilla coach
We were well aware of how strong Steaua are and that's why we took every measure necessary to counter their strength. Our win was well deserved, but Steaua were not at all inferior. We should have been more than 1-0 up at half-time taking into consideration how we played in the first half and the opportunities we created. Steaua started the second half well but step by step we came back into the match and the final score reflected what happened on the pitch. I wanted to offer Renato the chance to show what he can do and rested Luis Fabiano. He played behind the forwards because Steaua's central defenders are very tall, and did his job very well, not only in midfield but also in front of goal. The match with Arsenal [FC] will be very important; that will determine first place and it will be a special game, not only for our fans but also for the players. It will be a real match of champions.