Prandelli impressed by stoic Steaua

Cesare Prandelli, Fiorentina coach
It was a positive result for us. We had difficulties but it was important not to concede goals, even if we risked doing so a few times. Honestly they looked fresher than us, but I really like the determination and the fighting spirit of my players. When you face extremely organised opponents keeping possession as we always try to do becomes difficult, so we tried long balls with no results and it was better to return to the game we are used to playing. We risked a lot towards the end but only because we were trying to push for victory and Steaua were dangerous on the counterattack. We would not have deserved to win, the draw is a fair result. However I think this team deserve plaudits for what we have achieved so far.

Marius Lăcătuş, Steaua coach
We played well and we also had some good chances to score, especially in the final part of the game. We are disappointed not to have got the goal for the three points, but it remains an excellent performance by the team and we did all we could to win. The draw is a good result and now we are obliged to continue on the same path if we want to keep playing in the UEFA Champions League against teams of the standard of Fiorentina. Our group is very evenly balanced, all the teams have a chance of going through. Today, before the game, I talked with my players and asked them to play as a unit: we did it and we managed to control their stronger players, like [Adrian] Mutu and [Alberto] Gilardino, while also taking advantage of the wide spaces they allowed us.