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'Emotional' triumph for Dudelange's Philippe

Didier Philippe was left to reflect on an "emotional match" after his F91 Dudelange team's surprise aggregate win against FC Salzburg, for whom elimination represented "a disaster".

Didier Philippe's side are through to the third qualifying round
Didier Philippe's side are through to the third qualifying round ©Getty Images

F91 Dudelange pulled off the shock of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round by overcoming FC Salzburg on Tuesday, with even their own coach surprised they made it through. The Luxembourger champions may now be enjoying their moment in the sun but for Aurélien Joachim, a goalscorer in both legs, the main concern is having a full complement of players for the third qualifying round tie against NK Maribor.

Didier Philippe, Dudelange coach
It was a very emotional match. Salzburg are the better team but we tried to compensate for this with team spirit. We wanted to play on the counterattack and that worked. Taking the lead was a surprise for me. As a team like Dudelange you need a little bit luck, but we have not only fighters in our team but very talented players as well. The 1-0 first-leg win was not a surprise to me, but the qualification was.

Aurélien Joachim, Dudelange forward
Playing the last 15 minutes with one player down was very exhausting – now it's time to rest. I hope that all the players will be released from their work duties by their employers for the next round.

Romain Schumacher, Dudelange president
It's massive. The scenario is even better than in a Hitchcock film. To score three goals in an arena like that is unbelievable. Very often, Luxembourg has come close to achievements. We have turned a corner. What a match! I've aged ten years just like that this evening.

This is a brilliant achievement by the team and a real spectacle for the fans. It's hard for me to really appreciate straight after the match what just happened on the pitch.

Roger Schmidt, Salzburg coach
Not qualifying for Europe is a big disappointment. It's hard but in two matches we were not able to get on top of our opponents and the players did not take responsibility. Obviously our young team could not handle the pressure. Now we have to act professionally and make amends.

Martin Hinteregger, Salzburg defender
It's a disaster.

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