Slomka laments Krstajić setback
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Article summary
Coach Mirko Slomka said that Mladen Krstajić's suspension will hamper FC Schalke 04's chances of a UEFA Cup semi-final success against Sevilla FC.
Article body
FC Schalke 04 have left themselves with a tricky task in the second leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final against Sevilla FC after being held to a goalless draw in Gelsenkirchen and losing defender Mladen Krstajić to a late red card. Coach Mirko Slomka admitted Krstajić would be sorely missed in the return in Spain in seven days.
Mirko Slomka, Schalke coach
It was a very, very intense match with a lot of very hard challenges. You can't be happy with a 0-0 draw at home but everything is still open. Mladen is hard to replace, he is a world-class player. But we can score away from home, so we still have a chance.
Juande Ramos, Sevilla coach
It was an intense match with opportunities for both sides and the result was a fair one. Schalke were threatening at the start, while in the closing stages we had a few chances to score. Our prospects of victory remain 50/50 but we have 90 minutes at home and we want to make the most of them.
Gerald Asamoah, Schalke forward
They were very compact and we struggled to create at times. It is never going to be easy when you haven't won for five matches and we wanted to end that run. It is going to be difficult in the second leg.
