Mission accomplished for Gallice

Jean Gallice, France coach
I felt that we dominated the game totally and they were lucky to get their goal when they did as we had many chances to score during the first half. We simply kept our way of playing and stuck to our principles. It was a victory for the technical side of football, and I don't mean to denigrate our opponents when I say that. I really had nothing to say to the players at half-time. I just wanted them to play a little wider on the pitch up front and to use the space more. We had no real panic, we just had to continue to play our game. We wanted to cause them as much uncertainty as possible and to unsettle them as much as we could. It's their tournament, their victory. I am 56 years of age so I am not in it for the pursuit of honours. My mission as coach of this team is done. We are European champions.

Martin Hunter, England manager
I am disappointed to lose the match, but I am immensely proud of my players as they got this far. It is not easy and it is not often that you can get to the final of a European competition, and we have achieved this. France were the better team on the night, and I can take that on the chin. We simply couldn't get the ball and pass it. Nevertheless, it was a great experience to get to the final and it is a real stepping stone for the careers of these players. Sven-Göran Eriksson entered the dressing room after the match and said exactly the same. Now they will move on to U20 level, but there are already three players in the U21 squad and I think there will be others. The most pleasing aspect of the performance was that the team was willing to keep going. At 2-1 down, we kept going, showing bags and bags of character. This has been a wonderful tournament to be involved in as we are playing the best players in Europe. You simply cannot put a value on it in terms of the players' education.