Valverde savours semi-final success

RCD Espanyol coach Ernesto Valverde was in jubilant mood after his side survived a first-half scare to win 2-1 at Werder Bremen and reach the UEFA Cup final with a 5-1 aggregate victory. Valverde, part of the Espanyol squad that lost the 1988 final to Bayer 04 Leverkusen on penalties despite a 3-0 first-leg triumph, must have feared history was repeating itself when Hugo Almeida gave the hosts a fourth-minute lead at the Weserstadion. Bremen had striker Miroslav Klose red-carded midway through the opening period, however, and Ferrán Corominas and Jesús María Lacruz struck early in the second half to ensure Espanyol will play holders Sevilla FC in the Hampden Park final on 16 May.

Thomas Schaaf, Bremen coach
This defeat happened due to our mistakes. We were kicking off in a bad position after the first leg, yet we enjoyed a perfect start by scoring the early goal we had all hoped for. In my opinion, the decision to send off Klose decided the tie. We tried everything with ten men, but it wasn't enough. Congratulations to Espanyol and a big compliment to my team. It was great, the way they acted, the way they played and how they believed they could perform the miracle. Even with ten men, we kept playing to win, but unfortunately it was not enough. Espanyol are a good team, as they showed in the first leg, and anything is possible in the final - there are no favourites.

Ernesto Valverde, Espanyol coach
Of course, we are more than happy tonight. Our team made it and it's not every day you get to a European final. Bremen started very strongly and took the lead, they were better than us with eleven players and later even with ten men. But we had a good second half and things began to go our way, especially after the equaliser. We have now reached a second UEFA Cup final 19 years after our first, and my players will be very motivated. Getting there is a great achievement, especially for a side like ours. Sevilla are the holders and are having a great season. They're still in with a chance of winning the Primera División and the Copa del Rey as well as the UEFA Cup, but they won't be giving anything away to us.