16 February 2007, by Marco Pereira

Braga 1-0 Parma: match reaction

Joao Pinto, Sporting Braga forward

“I would have liked to have scored more goals, but I believe that the result mirrors the game well. We won and are ahead in the tie, and who says we cannot win in Italy? Tonight Parma created some difficulties, but in the second half we were the better side.”

“Tonight I was with Fernando Couto (Parma’s veteran Portuguese defender) and of course at these moments I think about our glory times gone by in the national team, with Jorge Costa too. It’s obvious that I am left with nostalgia.”

Ze Carlos, Sporting Braga forward

“I always believed I could score. I had never scored a goal in European competitions but I always maintained the will to score. Thank God I managed to do it at the end and I believe that it was a reward for the whole team, who worked hard and deserve to be happy.”

“To win by one goal is not perfect, but it’s better than drawing. The victory is important, and also the fact we didn’t concede any goals. As a result, I believe it was a good result and from here on in, we will get better. Tonight we showed that we are a big club and that all our opponents have difficulties when they play here in Braga.”

Rogerio Goncalves, Sporting Braga coach

“It was important for us to not suffer any goals and it was important that we won. If we had won by two goals it would have been better, but we had to be attentive to the way our adversary played. The defended very well and broke away to attack very quickly.”

“I believe it’s a good victory, and we deserve it for the football we played, for the opportunities we had and what we tried to do.”

Claudio Ranieri, Parma coach

“I saw a good Parma in the first half. We had two or three clear occasions to score, but we did not take advantage. In the second half, we suffered a bit more, but our opponents did not have many chances on goal.”

“Parma are in a phase with little confidence, whereas Braga are more motivated, but on the pitch I didn’t see any differences. Braga are a team that like to move the ball around, an organised team, but they created little in the way of chances. I am happy with my players, but not with the result.”

Braga 1-0 Parma - match report