The Asse Engaged Lyon in the Derby: Horneland’s Eloges

Saint-Étienne – LASSE won a memorable derby this Saturday, imposing a convincing victory (2-1) against Lyon. At the end of the match, the Stephanese coach, Eirik Horneland, praised the effort of his players and the importance of this victory for the team and the city.

“It was a pretty exhausting game, quite emotional,” Horneland told Ici Saint-Etienne Loire. “The atmosphere was really amazing. This game was very important to us, because we win this victory in the derby as we go through a complicated period this season. We knew the importance of this meeting for our standings. We also knew how much this game meant to the city, to the fans. We had to get into the field with the urge to do a very big job tonight.”

Horneland also stressed the constant support of supporters, whom he wished to reward. “The fans have been behind us since the beginning of the season. Being able to give them that in return was really an incredible feeling. "

With regard to the match’s performance, the coach acknowledged that Lyon had been more successful in the second period. “We did a good first time. In second, we had to fight more, Lyon was better. We got the first half, they got the second. There are a lot of things to build from this game, from this victory, to gain a little more confidence and to tackle the last encounters. "

Despite this defeat in the second period, Horneland expressed optimism about the level of the team. “There’s a level in this team. I think we can really play good football. Today, we created several occasions, we found spaces to mark. And we also had a lot of problems with the opponent, which we did a little less well in the last games.”

Finally, Horneland insisted on the need to continue fighting and building on this victory. “There are still meetings and we will have to keep fighting. I’m not surprised by the level of the team. I know we can play well. Today, I especially felt that we were rewarded for our efforts. We were able to stay in the game, keep our style, and that continuity did us good.”