Leonardo Jardim Proud of Monaco Despite Champions League Elimination
Monaco’s elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Juventus was a tough pill to swallow for manager Leonardo Jardim, but he expressed immense pride in his team’s performance. Despite a 1-0 defeat in Italy last week, Monaco could only manage a 0-0 draw at home in the second leg of the quarter-final, resulting in a 1-0 aggregate loss. However, Jardim remained upbeat, praising his players for their resilience and quality on the pitch.
“We are disappointed with the result but proud of the team and the way we played,” Jardim said in comments relayed by L’Equipe. “Monaco were never inferior to Juventus in either match. We played good football. We showed Europe our individual and collective qualities.”
The Portuguese coach also acknowledged the high level of competition, emphasizing that Monaco had held their own against one of Europe’s elite clubs. “We are a team that can compete with major European sides,” Jardim continued.
While proud of his team’s performance, Jardim did not shy away from expressing his frustration with the refereeing in the tie, although he chose not to dwell on the issue. “The refereeing? I’m not going to talk about it. I’ll let the media do that,” he remarked. “But the fact that a Champions League quarter-final isn’t decided by the quality of the players makes me sad. I’m sure UEFA isn’t happy about that either.”
Jardim also explained the tactical decision to substitute midfielder Jérémy Toulalan, who was dealing with physical issues, with forward Dimitar Berbatov in an effort to add more attacking threat. “Toulalan had physical problems. He was replaced by Berbatov to play more offensively.”
Despite the disappointment in Europe, Jardim was keen to refocus the team’s efforts on Ligue 1, where Monaco are aiming to maintain their top-three position. “We just had an excellent international campaign. We worthily represented France and Monaco through quality and intense football. Now we have to think about the Championship and stay in the top three,” he concluded.
While Monaco’s Champions League journey ended prematurely, Jardim’s belief in his team’s potential remains unwavering as they look to secure another strong finish in domestic competition.
