Kömür: “A goal was the cherry on top”

Reaction from the last game of the season in Leverkusen

FC Augsburg fell to a narrow defeat away at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on matchday 34, but there were some positives to take away from the game. Here is the reaction from the last game.

Ermedin Demirović: “We tried our best, but it just wasn’t possible to beat Leverkusen this year. Nevertheless, we put in a good performance against the current best team in Germany or even in Europe, especially in the second half, and we can end the season with a positive feeling despite the defeat. We’re proud to have stayed up and we even had the chance to reach Europe until recently. That shows that we’re on the right track and we can build on these positives in the future.”

Mert Kömür: “I could hardly believe it when I saw my name in the starting eleven. It’s just unbelievable that I then scored my first Bundesliga goal – it’s the cherry on top. Additionally, my whole family was in the stadium. The season went really well for me – I’ve continued to develop individually. Now it’s about continuing to work hard so that next season is even better and I can get even more playing time.”

Tomáš Koubek: “The game today came with highs and lows for me. It was important that I kept my head up after conceding the opener and that I was able to help keep us in the game with several saves in the second half. That’s the feeling I’m going home with. I’m particularly happy for Mert, it was a really nice debut goal and I hope it helps motivate him for next season already.”

Arne Maier: “We left it all out there on the pitch against the best team in the league and can end the season with our heads held high, despite the defeat. If you’d have asked us a year ago, we all would have been overjoyed at recording the third-best finish in our Bundesliga history.”

Jess Thorup (FC Augsburg head coach): “It was a very good performance across the 90 minutes, despite us having to compensate for several injuries. Unfortunately, we conceded two easy goals early on, but we scored more than them in the second half. Both teams had their chances, but Leverkusen ended up winning the game and the title in the end. After a game like this, we can head into the summer break feeling good. We showed that we can build something here, because the potential is there. I’m particularly pleased with Mert’s first start for us and Mahmut’s debut.”