Erawla: It is difficult to ask for more

Liverpool’s Spanish manager, Andoni Iraola, said it was hard to ask for more from his Champions League managerial debut after his side, the Reds, overturned a deficit to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Tuesday night in the opening round. The former Bournemouth boss, who had never managed a team in Europe’s premier club competition before, said, “It’s difficult to ask for more.” He added, “We showed great character, especially from the players after a difficult start, to deliver that second half.” He continued, “I loved it. The atmosphere was fantastic, and I feel lucky to have experienced it.”

At one point, it seemed the English giants’ victory might come with consequences, as French newcomer Bradley Barcola left the pitch limping after an hour of play. However, Iraola clarified that the Paris Saint-Germain signing, who joined for £123 million ($167 million), suffered only from muscle cramps after making his first start of the season. He explained, “It’s just cramps, especially in Bradley’s case. We rushed his involvement because he hadn’t played a single minute during the pre-season training period.” He added, “We wanted him on the pitch, but in the end, we decided to tell him today: give us everything you can.” He concluded, “That was the maximum he could give, and we’ll see how the players recover for the next match, as we play again in three days.”