Copenhagen’s Champions League journey came to an end at Camp Nou, and while the final outcome was painful, their manager, Jacob Neestrup, walked into the press room with his head held high.
The Danish side’s defeat against Barcelona confirmed their elimination from the competition, leaving them among the bottom 12 teams in the League Phase, while the Blaugrana finished within the top 8.
Still, Neestrup made it clear that disappointment over the result did not erase his pride in how his players competed against one of Europe’s strongest sides.
Praise for Barcelona
Neestrup began by highlighting the effort and bravery his team showed, especially during the first half, when Copenhagen managed to trouble Barcelona more than many had expected.
“We gave it our all against a great team. I can’t fault my players.
“We created chances in the first half, both clear-cut opportunities and dangerous moves into the box. Jordan Larsson could have made it 0-2 before the break,” he said as reported by Mundo Deportivo.
Those missed chances ultimately proved costly. As Neestrup explained, “then Barça, in the second half, was a team capable of playing at a very high tempo.
Barcelona were ruthless against Copenhagen. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
“This Barça team is only comparable to Pep Guardiola’s teams.
“If we compare it to the Barça of 2010, the current team also doesn’t make mistakes with the ball. It’s a top-level team with very good technical players.”
The comparison to the era led by Pep Guardiola was not made lightly. For Neestrup, Barcelona’s control, precision, and ability to punish small mistakes reflected the highest standard of European football.
Despite the final scoreline, the Copenhagen coach insisted that his team were never passive participants.
“As a coach and player, you always think that winning and scoring a goal here is already a big surprise.
“I think we were dangerous on the counterattack and created enough chances to make the result closer,” he concluded.