Head coach Oliver Glasner: “West Ham made it hard for us. They gave it everything and played very physically. With the red card we got into the game more and scored a nice goal. We knew they play off the second balls and are very physical. It was important that we stood up to that. The way that the boys defended with such passion, with Kevin backing them up, was fantastic. In the second half we defended the long balls and set pieces with everything we had. West Ham threw everything forward. After a difficult opening period, we scored a great goal. Congratulations to the team for what they achieved again tonight. Together with our fans behind us, it was an unbelievable night.”
Board member for sport Markus Krösche: “I felt really tense before the match. To now be in the final of the Europe League is amazing. We’re delighted, the lads have been rewarded for their hard work. What happened after the match and also during it is beyond description. You see the love, the passion for this club. Now we want the title.”
The success isn’t there yet. We’re in the final to bring the trophy back to Frankfurt.
Timothy Chandler
Sebastian Rode: “We’re over the moon. I’m happy that we’ve done it. To get to travel to Seville again with this group and the fans is incredible. It’s just awesome, and the fans are overwhelmed too. Now there’s one more step to go, we want the trophy! We’ll approach that in a focused manner, but for now we’ll enjoy tonight.”
Timothy Chandler: “The success isn’t there yet. We’re in the final to bring the trophy back to Frankfurt. That’s what we’re going to work for and then there’ll be a really big party.”
Kevin Trapp: “The coach mentioned 18 May at some point at the start of the season. Now we’ve fulfilled this dream. We’re one match away from the title. We’ve done a lot to get where we are now; everyone who’s worked on it has earned it. We’re happy that we’ve made it. Our big objective was to be able to celebrate together with the fans. Rangers play in a similar, physical way to West Ham but we’re concentrating on ourselves. It’s the best day of my career. Winning the semi-final and reaching the final is something very special.”
