‘They played with their B team, but they were still first class’ – Schalke director praises Manchester United after reaching Champions League…

Horst Heldt, VfB Stuttgart (firo)

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Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt is proud of his team’s achievement in the Champions League this season despite losing to Manchester United in the semi-finals, but conceded that his side ‘deserved to be beaten’.

The German side went down 4-1 to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side in the second-leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening, losing the tie 6-1 on aggregate.

Heldt is understandably disappointed with Schalke’s comprehensive loss but praises his players for a memorable campaign in Europe this season.

“We’ve played a superb Champions League season,” he told Sky Germany. “It included a historical victory against Inter in the quarter-finals which people will talk about in the subsequent years.

“If you’re in the semis, of course, you want to reach the final. Of course, we’re disappointed.”

Reflecting further on Schalke’s defeat in Manchester, Heldt said: “People say that they played with their B team, but they were still first class. We couldn’t stand them but that was also the situation in the first-leg. We deserved to be beaten.

“Our opponents were just too strong for us. Some players didn’t realise what kind of situation we were in. Man United can handle the pressure better.”

Heldt, though, hopes that the Schalke players can learn something from the defeat: “I hope that the team are not just content with the fact that we reached the semis. I will have a clear look on how the players will react. It’s not so often that you reach the Champions League semis.”