Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso and defender Edmond Tapsoba preview their UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg vs Roma. The German side secured a 2-0 win in the first leg.
Bay Arena, Leverkusen, Germany
Bay Arena, Leverkusen, Germany
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00:00Yes, yes.
00:08So, welcome to this press conference
00:11in anticipation of our semi-final match
00:14against AS Roma tomorrow evening.
00:17The second leg tomorrow evening at 9 p.m. here in the Bayern Arena.
00:20I warmly welcome our head coach,
00:22Xabi Alonso, and our central defender,
00:24Edmond Zapp-Sobar.
00:26We'll start with questions for Eddy,
00:29because with all the languages we have,
00:32it's easier if you address all your questions to Eddy in English
00:35and our translator can translate it to Italian.
00:37So please address all your questions to the player first.
00:42Eddy, a very warm welcome.
00:44You have achieved great things with the teams already.
00:48How much do you think the team wants to be in this final
00:52and how much would it mean for you personally?
00:55For me personally, it means a lot
00:57because we saw last season how our fans were suffering
01:01after the defeat in the second leg against Roma.
01:05So, for us, it's to give them what they are doing for us this season.
01:09Thank you very much.
01:11So, questions for the player, please.
01:14Maramones Sky.
01:16Hi, Eddy. You already mentioned the second leg last year.
01:20For me, it was kind of a key experience
01:23for the development of Bayer Leverkusen.
01:25How do you see it?
01:27I see it like, since the beginning of the season,
01:30we've been constant, playing well.
01:32And also, we take the second leg as a normal game
01:37because we go inside the game like we draw there.
01:41We take the game in the beginning like 0-0
01:43and then we fight for the win tomorrow.
01:48Patrick Scherer, Kölner Stadtanzeiger, please.
01:50Hi, Eddy.
01:52You're playing in one of the hottest teams in Europe.
01:56What do you think about this?
01:59How do you feel yourself in this team at the moment?
02:02I feel good. It feels good always to win
02:05and being trained by Xavi.
02:08And also, he's doing a great job.
02:10But, as I say, we go inside the game
02:14and also we're taking the game seriously.
02:16This season, we're playing like a match game,
02:20controlling the game, playing our style,
02:22keeping consistency.
02:24I'm happy to be in this team.
02:29Are there any more questions right now for the player?
02:37Will you play a defensive match tomorrow?
02:41No, we play with our idea,
02:44as we are playing always,
02:47trying to control the game,
02:49keep our rhythm of the game and try to win the game.
02:56You have a good starting position tomorrow,
02:59but how difficult will it be, the game against Roma?
03:04We take every game as a difficult game.
03:07We know Roma is a strong team
03:09and we are here for this.
03:11That's why we won the Bundesliga.
03:15We take the game seriously
03:17and we know that they have good strikers and good players.
03:20We are here to respond to that.
03:25Thank you very much, Eddy.
03:27Xavi, the 2-0 draw,
03:31do you think it's a comfortable situation
03:34or a dangerous one for us?
03:37Yes, good evening.
03:39It's always a risky game.
03:41It's a dangerous situation.
03:43The result doesn't matter.
03:45A goal can quickly change the situation
03:49and the mindset of a team.
03:53We are preparing to play well,
03:56with a good mentality and good concentration,
03:59as Eddy said,
04:01with our style of football.
04:03We don't change.
04:05We want to be aggressive.
04:08We want to control well,
04:10but we also want to defend well as a team.
04:15We are waiting for Roma.
04:21We are very concentrated and hopeful.
04:25Thank you, Xavi.
04:26Now your questions to Xavi.
04:28Patrick Scheerer, Cologne Stadtanzeiger.
04:30Hi, Xavi.
04:32We just talked about the draw last year.
04:36How much did it affect you
04:39or upset you
04:41last year?
04:43Yes, of course.
04:45We don't forget
04:47what we experienced in our stadium.
04:49The pain we felt
04:53last year.
04:57We have to use this energy
04:59in the right way for us.
05:02Hopefully, we can celebrate in the end,
05:05but we have to focus
05:07and play for 19 minutes.
05:09Maybe a little more, hopefully not.
05:12But it doesn't matter.
05:14We have a good result.
05:16We want to play well
05:18and deserve the win
05:21and move on.
05:24Holger Schmidt, DBA.
05:27Xavi, what upset you most
05:29last year
05:31was the time difference
05:33that the Roma caused.
05:35Now they are 2-0 behind.
05:37How do you expect them this year?
05:41We expect
05:45a game
05:47that we need.
05:49A big
05:51concentration,
05:53but also
05:55not patience.
05:57We expect
05:59different moments
06:01in a game.
06:03We see
06:05how Roma can play
06:07with high tempo
06:09and quality.
06:11We discussed
06:13what we want.
06:15The result is good,
06:17but it can be dangerous.
06:19We have to
06:21have a clear idea
06:23how to play tomorrow.
06:25Frank Laschet,
06:27Radio Leverkusen.
06:29Xavi, you said
06:31you love knockout games.
06:33Tomorrow is a special game.
06:35You can play in the Bayern Arena.
06:37How do you feel?
06:39It's a great show.
06:41A great game tomorrow.
06:43It's the Europa League semi-final.
06:45We expect a great atmosphere.
06:47We need
06:49a big
06:51support
06:53from our fans.
06:55I remember
06:57the welcome
06:59we had in the Bismarckstrasse.
07:01We need
07:03that energy.
07:05We have to show
07:07and use
07:09positive energy
07:11to play well
07:13and have a complete performance
07:15with and against the ball.
07:17We have to be in the final.
07:19That's our goal
07:21for tomorrow.
07:23Patrick Schirra, Kölner Stadtanzeiger.
07:25Xavi, how is the staff?
07:27Is the squad fit?
07:29How is Alejandro?
07:31How is Florian Wirtz?
07:33Everyone is there.
07:35Everyone is ready for tomorrow.
07:37Holger Schmidt, DPA.
07:39Yesterday, Borussia Dortmund
07:41was the first German team
07:43to make it to the final.
07:45Tonight the second team could make it,
07:47tomorrow the third.
07:49Would you have thought it possible
07:51for Dortmund to reach the final?
07:53What does that say about the strength
07:55of the Bundesliga?
07:57It's very positive for the Bundesliga.
07:59Congratulations
08:01to Dortmund.
08:03It's not easy
08:05to reach the Champions League final.
08:07They have the chance now,
08:09but yesterday
08:11they showed
08:13a very good team spirit.
08:15Congratulations to Dortmund.
08:17We'll see.
08:19Today is the Champions League final.
08:21Bayern and Madrid are both
08:23great teams.
08:25We'll see.
08:27I've already said
08:29that to see
08:31such a high level in the Bundesliga
08:33means that
08:35what we've done in the Bundesliga
08:37is not easy.
08:39All the teams,
08:41not just Dortmund and Bayern,
08:43but also Leipzig,
08:45Stuttgart, Eintracht.
08:47We were very consistent
08:49this season.
08:51But tomorrow
08:53in Europe it's a different story.
08:55It's just a game
08:57and we need
08:59a different mentality
09:01and a different focus for tomorrow.
09:03In general, what does that say
09:05about the strength of the Bundesliga?
09:07It's said that the Premier League
09:09is the best league in the world.
09:11They only have Aston Villa in the Conference League.
09:13You can say everything,
09:15but the results are facts.
09:17The facts are there,
09:19so you cannot
09:21discuss them.
09:28Hi Xavi, how are you?
09:30You've won
09:32La Roma for the first time.
09:34Last season
09:36you beat them 0-0.
09:38How are you going to play tomorrow?
09:40Are you going to defend the result
09:42or are you going to go all out?
09:44We're going to try
09:46to play a good game.
09:48That means playing well with the ball
09:50and without the ball.
09:52We'll have to interpret
09:54the different moments of the game well.
09:56We've talked about tomorrow
09:58and we've prepared for it.
10:00We don't just have to
10:02focus on defending the result,
10:04because that usually
10:06puts us one step behind
10:08and we don't want to do that.
10:101,800 fans
10:12are in Rome tomorrow.
10:14The Bayern Arena is full.
10:16Frank has another question.
10:18Frank Laschet, please.
10:20Xavi, it's a huge euphoria
10:22and you said
10:24how you won the championship.
10:26You want more.
10:28You'd like to win two more titles.
10:30There are tickets available
10:32since yesterday.
10:34Tickets for the championship
10:36and possibly
10:38other championships.
10:40We've heard from fans
10:42that they've been waiting
10:44for two hours
10:46to get tickets.
10:48Do you get the same euphoria
10:50that people are waiting
10:52for two tickets
10:54for this spectacle?
10:56Of course, the fans
10:58have to celebrate
11:00and learn euphoria.
11:02They have to enjoy this season.
11:04It's something special
11:06that happened.
11:08But we don't have
11:10much time to experience euphoria.
11:12We have enough work.
11:14Hopefully the last week
11:16of the season,
11:18we have two finals in three days.
11:20That will be unique.
11:22Our job is
11:24to focus on
11:26what's going to happen
11:28and hopefully we'll do our best
11:30to enjoy it for the fans.
11:32But yes,
11:34the last days
11:36when you have
11:38the joy
11:40to experience it,
11:42we're happy.
11:44Thank you.
11:46That's all for today.
11:48We'll see you tomorrow.
11:50Thank you.