• Champions League

Manchester United were 'too strong for us' - Heldt

ESPNsoccernet staff
May 4, 2011
Jose Jurado's strike was scant consolation for Schalke © PA Photos
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Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt claims he is proud of the side's performances in the Champions League, despite their capitulation against Manchester United.

Schalke lost 6-1 on aggregate to the Premier League leaders on Wednesday night, but after beating the likes of Inter Milan, Lyon and Valencia on the way to the semi-finals, Heldt believes there are many positives to take.

"We've played a superb Champions League season," he told Sky Germany. "It included a historical victory against Inter [in the quarter-finals] which people will talk about in the subsequent years. If you're in the semis, of course, you want to reach the final. Of course, we're disappointed.

"People say that they played with their B team, but they were still first class. We couldn't stand them but that was also the situation in the first-leg. We deserved to be beaten.

"Our opponents were just too strong for us. Some players didn't realise what kind of situation we were in. Man United can handle the pressure better."

However, Heldt claimed he would be watching the current crop of players and how they reacted to the defeat: "I hope that the team are not just content with the fact that we reached the semis. I will have a clear look on how the players will react. It's not so often that you reach the Champions League semis."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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