Jose Mourinho was a shade bitter after his Chelsea side
had been knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool on
penalties on Tuesday night.
The Reds won the game 1-0, so it was 1-1 on aggregate, but they
edged the shoot-out 4-1.
Mourinho sniped: "I haven't said much to the players; they have
many reasons to be proud of themselves.
"They were the best team today; I felt that. Even against a team
that is only playing in the Champions League. We were the only team
that tried to win over 90 and 180 minutes."
His adversary, Pool boss Rafa Benitez, praised the fans.
He said: "Every player and every supporter was a hero. The
atmosphere was amazing.
"We had confidence (before the penalties) because we have some
players practicing penalties every day."
Home skipper Steven Gerrard hailed goalkeeper Jose Reina, who saved
two penalties.
Gerrard called his team-mate "the best goalkeeper in the
world.
"Credit to the players, staff and supporters. The supporters were
unbelievable," the home skipper went on.
"The manager's tactics were spot on and our preparation and you
have to give the players credit. We stuck together and fought for
every ball together.
"Credit to Chelsea - John Terry and Frank Lampard wished us all the
best after the game."
