On the occasion of tomorrow’s second leg…
If I wouldn’t be excited for such a big game as tomorrow, and we can play the European final, it would be the wrong job for me. It’s why we all love to be a player, love to be a manager, love to be involved.
I think everybody is excited, and if you lose this excitement, then for me it would be a clear sign to retire. I’m enjoying it.
I told the players today I’m really enjoying being part of this incredible group. What they have done for Crystal Palace in the last two years is just incredible.
For such a long time it feels like it’s always been like this, but now maybe it’s because I’m leaving in summer and I get recognised more and more in London, and people are talking to me and fans are talking to me, what they’re telling me is that it’s really something special.
For us, we’re in this three-day rhythm and then preparing, analysing, preparing, analysing, and all this stuff. But what these players have done for Crystal Palace in the last two years is just incredible.
They’ve played in the Premier League, such great and big games, winning the FA Cup, then the Community Shield, a great start into the season, and now being close to playing in the European final. I think this has been, for a few years, this has been so far away from Crystal Palace, and now it’s, I don’t know how you say it, it’s close to reality.
And this makes this excitement for all of us because we know we can write history again.
We know that we can give the fans some moments that will stay forever, and I think I mentioned it after the FA Cup, this is maybe the best thing you can have in your job. If you give the people who are supporting you, if you give the people who are watching you, if you give the people who are reading about you, some excitement in their life, this is what we want to give to them.
And that’s why we’re really looking forward to the second leg.