Georges keeps head held high

Olympique Lyonnais captain Laura Georges urged her team-mates to "keep their heads high" in the wake of their penalty shoot-out loss to 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam in Thursday's UEFA Women's Champions League final.

Central defender Georges was one of Lyon's outstanding performers at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, helping to keep the German champions at bay for 120 goalless minutes before the French club finally cracked in sudden death at the end of a shoot-out in which at one stage they held a two-goal advantage.

"The most important thing is that the girls did a great job," the 25-year-old told UEFA.com. "I am very proud of that, and of the game we played. We were the outsiders and some people thought that we would lose heavily. Of course there were some difficult moments, but we did our job and were in it all the way. The penalty kicks are 50-50, that's the only regret we can have."

The French international faced the media on the eve of the showpiece in Getafe, saying that the first-time finalists had to relax and enjoy the moment. On that score it was "mission accomplished", said Georges, adding: "Tonight we really played, continuing with the good work which got us into this final. We kept the same spirit and discipline, and only the result was missing in the end."

In the aftermath of the defeat, Georges admitted to having to lift the players who had missed penalties, Amandine Henry, Isabell Herlovsen and Élodie Thomis, the latter's strike hitting the bar to decide the match in Potsdam's favour, but she could still take positives from the experience.

"It was very difficult for [those who missed], but these things happen and the only thing to tell them is to keep their heads high and that we played a good game," she said. "We showed everyone in Europe that Olympique Lyonnais have a great team and that French women's football has improved, and this is a very important thing. We have no regrets there. Now we can focus on the league – we all really want to win it."