Goncharenko pride tinged with regret
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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Coach Viktor Goncharenko felt mixed emotions after FC BATE Borisov's 2-2 draw with Juventus: pride at taking a point off the Italian giants but disappointment having let slip a two-goal lead in Minsk.
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FC BATE Borisov coach Viktor Goncharenko felt mixed emotions after the Belarussian side's 2-2 draw with Juventus in Group H – pride at having drawn with Italian giants and disappointment at not having held on for a surprise first victory in the competition after letting slip a two-goal lead. Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri was happy to escape with a point and praised his side for "reacting well" after BATE's early dominance.
Viktor Goncharenko, BATE coach
We should be proud of this team. Taking into account that this is the Champions League and given the level of our opponents we achieved a very good result. But when I was walking here [to the press conference] I felt some unpleasant emotions because we were two goals ahead and then only got a point. Everything is possible in football. We lacked some experience as we could have won tonight. We still have everything to fight for against Zenit, and then against Madrid. I want to thank the Belarussian media, television and local journalists because they did not pay us any attention before the match. That gave us added motivation. They spoke about the Dinamo Stadium, about Juventus, about their great players. We know now where Del Piero and Nedvěd were born, but what do we know about Rodionov, Stasevich and Khagush? Let's continue in the same way.
Claudio Ranieri, Juventus coach
The first half an hour was a nightmare for us. We knew BATE were a good team and they showed that from the beginning. They were faster and we could not play at their tempo. I consider the draw a good result as we were two goals behind. We expected BATE to press early. They have very good players, but I would also like to thank my players as they reacted well and looked to change the game right up until the final whistle. My decision to put Giovinco in central midfield in a 4-3-3 formation was not the best choice for this match as BATE focused on fast breaks. I was right to take Legrottaglie off as he was not sure he could continue. Both teams played very well and pushed for a win until the final whistle.