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Bayern Munich’s defender, Josip Stanisic, expressed regret over an incident during the Champions League match against Inter Milan, referring to his actions as “stupid.” The moment occurred during stoppage time when Stanisic, frustrated by a ballboy who tossed the ball away, pushed him off his stool.
The match, which ended in a 2-2 draw at San Siro, saw Inter advance to the semi-finals with an aggregate score of 4-3.
As Bayern sought a late goal, tensions rose when Stanisic attempted to retrieve the ball quickly but reacted poorly to the ballboy’s actions. This led to a swift response from the Inter bench, although the referee chose not to penalize Stanisic. “Every team in the world wastes time when they’re leading,” he commented in an interview with German newspaper Abenzeitung, acknowledging that his reaction was unnecessary.
Reflecting on the game, Bayern’s coach, Vincent Kompany, highlighted the club’s injury woes leading up to the matches. Key players such as Hiroki Ito, Dayot Upamecano, Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies, Kingsley Coman, and Aleksandar Pavlovic were unavailable for both legs. “I think the big issue, before Inter, was injuries,” Kompany noted, pointing out the significant impact this had on the team’s performance.
Despite these challenges, Kompany felt his team performed admirably throughout both matches, suggesting that they made Inter work hard for the results. However, he lamented the missed opportunity to play in the final at their home ground, the Allianz Arena. “The harsh reality is that we will not play the Champions League final at home,” he stated. “We can’t change that. The other aspect is the performance; we know we have done enough to win these games.”
On the other side, Inter’s coach, Simone Inzaghi, celebrated the victory, recounting the significance of their triumph. His team, which previously won the treble in 2010, is on track to potentially repeat this achievement. “It’s a beautiful evening, lived in our stadium, in front of our fans against a very strong team,” Inzaghi remarked.
Inzaghi acknowledged the efforts of his players, emphasizing that they put forth maximum effort in both matches. “We had to play two great games, putting everything we had. The boys were splendid; it’s a victory to share with the whole Inter world,” he concluded, looking ahead to the ongoing season filled with emotions.
Source
www.theguardian.com