Rexhbecaj: “A tough one to take”

Post-match reaction after the 3-2 defeat to Mainz

FC Augsburg suffered a 3-2 defeat to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in a game that was shaped by a number of contentious moments. Here’s all the reaction from the match.

Jeffrey Gouweleeuw: “We were by far the better team, both with an extra man and when it was ten against ten. We had lots of chances, and should have made more of them. We also should have defended better for all three goals we conceded. There were a few contentious moments where VAR did or didn’t intervene. Nobody understands anymore. I feel like different rules are applied every week.”

Keven Schlotterbeck: “We’re going home disappointed, because we didn’t defend well enough on three occasions. We were also not clinical enough today, and couldn’t put the ball in the net. We have to learn from these things. Four points from four games is not what we were aiming for. I felt a touch at the end. I personally think I took a hit to my left foot. For me, contact in the penalty area is a foul. I don’t know if it was really such a bad decision that the referee had to overturn it. Now, we go away empty-handed.”

Elvis Rexhbecaj: “We were on top from the start, but then fell behind unnecessarily after two situations when we didn’t get tight enough. We still didn’t give up, but after 30 shots, you simply have to get more out of the game. It’s a tough one to take, as are the decisions before the red card, as well as the overturned penalty.”

Jess Thorup (FC Augsburg head coach): “When the opponent scores three times from three shots on target, it’s obvious that we have to defend better. We gave everything and kept pushing forward – 30 shots on goal speak for themselves. Samuel’s red card was justified. I don’t accept actions like that. The opponent should also have been sent off for his elbow though. Why didn’t VAR look at that? I’d rather not speak about the penalty. I’m disappointed that we lost, but our performance was good in general.”

Bo Henriksen (1. FSV Mainz 05 head coach): “That was an incredible game. We didn’t play well in the first 15 minutes, but we were clinical and scored twice from two attacks. Nadiem’s red card wasn’t particularly clever. That gave us problems, because we knew that we’d then have to defend for 60 minutes. Augsburg played really well, but I’m proud of the lads, because we defended brilliantly. It was an important victory for us. At the end of the day, we won. That’s football.”