Monday Jun 26 2006 23:32
Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin admitted that his side needed a large slice of luck to secure an historic place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Blokhin's side won 3-0 on penalties against Switzerland after a drab goalless draw, with the Ukraine coach saying: "The teams were equal and had equal chances to win. We just had more luck.
Ukraine skipper Andriy Shevchenko added: "We suffered a lot, but we're happy to have won for all Ukrainians.
"We do not have the greatest players, but we make up for that by making sacrifices for each other, by playing with a lot of heart."
Swiss defender Ludovic Magnin admitted that his side's exit after penalties hurt him and his team-mates badly.
He added: "It's terrible. It's so sad to lose this way, but football is not always fair.
"We've achieved a lot and I think the whole of Switzerland is proud of us."
Have your say on this article