OL rely on experience
Wendie Renard (defender of Lyon): "Playing finals is not given to everyone. I had that privilege. But for me, it's as if it were the first time: I I will start this match with a lot of determination, concentration. The message will be collective. We are having a great season, but we have not won anything yet. It will be up to us to put into practice what we have been doing since the start of the season. , to also play our football because we have enough to play it too, with players with great potential."
Ada Hegerberg (Lyon striker): "Coming back to the final is an incredible feeling. I had two difficult years with injuries, I couldn't imagine being here last year. Playing this kind of final is something something very special. We had the chance to play quite a few of them, Wendie even more than me. These are huge finals, so important for women's football in general. It's nice to see so many people going there. interested, it's up to us to take advantage while putting our qualities to the test. We have experience of this kind of finals, we have to put all the ingredients together to bring this trophy home."
Sonia Bompastor (Lyon coach): "In our group, half have a lot of experience, but we also have players who are going to play their first final. They bring passion and that is also our strength. When we are young , we don't ask ourselves any questions, the challenge and the pressure, it slips over us. Recklessness can be important and complementary with experience, it gives us additional strength."
OL, outsiders?
Renard: "We are coming to a final with two big names, who are having two great runs. For me, a final is 50-50, there is no favorite, it's up to us to write the story of this game if we want to lift the trophy. It will be up to us to hurt when we have to hurt. Barcelona are a great team, they are the defending champions, and we have a lot of respect for them. But our story, we're here to write it. We're not here to prove what we can do. There are two teams, one trophy, but I'm hungry so I'll do everything to leave with."
The Lyonnaises in the wake of their captain Wendie Renard (C) train in Turin, May 20, 2022 FRANCK FIFE AFP
Hegerberg: "It's the game that will tell (who is the favorite)! Nothing will be played until we have played the 90 minutes. We come into this final with the feeling that we have nothing to lose We have a very good state of mind in the group, we feel ready, mentally and physically. We have already been at this stage, I feel that we come here with experience, while having a great respect for Barcelona as a team, for what they have achieved. They are a great team, and I think they respect us too."
A "revolutionary" edition
Hegerberg: "All finals are special and particular. What I feel this season is that there has been a new format with more teams, a group stage, changes that we have been hoping for for a long time. All the matches are televised, it's revolutionary for women's football. There was a lot of interest around this final. But personally, I find it as great as the other finals."
Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg training the day before the match in Turin, May 20, 2022 FRANCK FIFE AFP
Comments collected at a press conference.
© 2022 AFP