Kamil Syprzak: 'Satisfied and disappointed'

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On Wednesday night, Paris Saint-Germain Handball lost in the first leg of the EHF Champions League quarter-finals, away to Kiel (31-29). Still full of hope ahead of next week's return leg, Raul Gonzalez, Kamil Syprzak and Mathieu Grébille looked back on the match.

Raul Gonzalez (Paris Saint-Germain Handball coach):
"We started well and we were leading by three goals. But Kiel played better than us in the second half. We will have another chance in Coubertin. The defence was very good in the first half, but then we had problems. Every time our opponent had a one-on-one, they won it. We also fluffed some attacking moves. We switched to a seven-man attack and that allowed us to lose by only two goals. Now we have to focus on Montpellier. It will be a very different game. We will have to win this game. For that, we will have to be focused right to the end."

Kamil Sypzak (Paris Saint-Germain Handball pivot):
"The match was very intense. We were facing the defending champions, so we had to respect them. We played as well as we could. We had to fight until the end, because it was obvious that Kiel was not going to give an inch. That's the German mentality! The first round is over, but there will be another one, at home. It will be just as difficult. I think we were good for 40 minutes. In the second half, we lacked freshness and we made simple mistakes. Kiel took advantage of that and turned the game around. One part of me is satisfied, the other knows that we have to correct things quickly. We will have to be even better prepared next week. We know that this week will be very fast-paced and we have to stay focused on all the games. Now we will focus on the Coupe de France final against Montpellier - and then we will talk about the return leg."

Mathieu Grébille (Paris Saint-Germain Handball left-winger):
"Feelings are a bit mixed, because we lost, but it's only the halfway point of this tie. We played a good game and we led for a long time. So it's harder to accept losing by two goals. We started the game well, we were all focused. It's the highest level, and it's a matter of details, especially concerning fatigue, which cost us some goals. We showed that even if they are the defending champions, we were able to compete with them. We will have to do it through all 60 minutes next week. We will also have to do more, because now we have to catch up. But in the Champions League, things can change quickly! We don't have the advantage, but we will be playing at home. We will have to give it our all! But before that, there is a final against Montpellier and the best way to prepare for this return leg is to win the Coupe de France."

(Credits : J. Azouze/PSG)