Renee Slegers has maintained a cool, calm, collected persona all season, but even she was feeling the nerves ahead of Saturday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League final.
But, given how well we’d prepared for the fixture and the work we’d done throughout the campaign, she believed we could beat Barcelona.
Speaking at Monday’s trophy lift outside Emirates Stadium, our head coach said: “There were so many emotions after the game, and I thought when I came home I’d be taking it in, but I ordered food and fell asleep!
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“The players have enjoyed their football and I think if you’re together, and you stay together whatever happens and you want to become better everyday, with the foundation of being really good players you can reach high levels, and that’s what we’ve done.
“I know people have talked about my calmness and I’m often very calm, but there’s a lot of thoughts and feelings inside me. When the whistle blew for the final, I knew we had two weeks, and so many months of preparation and gone through so many things. We were so prepared, the players invested so much and I felt when the whistle blew: ‘we’re ready, let’s go and see where we’re at, and let’s go for the win’.
“The fans’ support this year, every single year, has been incredible. For me we’re working every day with the players and the staff, there’s incredible work being done. But every time we step on the pitch and we see you guys, it just makes everything seem real and thank you so much, it’s been incredible.”
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