SPAIN: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Press conferences by Chelsea and Valencia managers Jose Mourinho and Quique Sanchez Flores after Chelsea defeat Valencia 2-1 in the second leg of the Champion League quarter-finals

Manager Jose Mourinho saluted Chelsea's second-half fightback after coming from a goal down to beat Valencia 2-1 on Tuesday (April 10) to claim a place in the Champions League semi-finals. "It was a great performance in the second half against a good team and in a difficult stadium and when we were losing 1-0," Mourinho told reporters after his side's 3-2 aggregate victory. "At halftime we were out but in the second half we were amazing, very dominant and there was only one team in it." Michael Essien scored the last-minute winner for Chelsea, but he will miss the first leg of the semi-final against either Liverpool or PSV Eindhoven after picking up his second yellow card of the competition. "Essien is a special player, he's an athlete, he can run, as you know, forever, he can play a game everyday, he's an absolute, superb athlete," said Mourinho. "When we lost him, one month ago, I was saying it's a big, big loss, he was ready to come for this crucial game, I know he is suspended for the next game, but next is the next, today was the game. Today was the crucial one, the next game is not crucial, we still have a second leg to play. And hopefully Essien is not injured, he can play second leg." Mourinho also gave a timely reminder to owner Roman Abramovich in the wake of constant media speculation about his Chelsea future. "I want to stay in England and I want to stay at Chelsea but sometimes the things you want in life don't happen," said the Portuguese coach. "If I can't coach here then I'll have to coach somewhere else." Valencia boss Quique Sanchez Flores paid tribute to Chelsea. "I don't know if the best (team) won," he said. "I know a great team won. They took us to the limit, they've been superior in the two second halves, both in Stamford Bridge and here. They have both incredible potential and resources. So many that Valencia can't confront them." Despite the defeat, Flores was pleased that Valencia had restored their reputation in Europe after failing to qualify for the Champions league last season. "I think we've done something very important. We recovered the prestige in Europe," he said. "Two years have been worth it to recover the prestige. They have identified us, they know who we are again. They see us as a recovered team, And we can afford now to lose against such a powerful team like Chelsea." With Manchester United destroying AS Roma 8-3 on aggregate and Liverpool enjoying a 3-0 advantage over PSV Eindhoven after their quarter-final first leg, three English teams seem certain to reach the last four. If Liverpool hold on to their lead on Wednesday they will be Chelsea's next opponents in a rematch of the 2005 semi-final won 1-0 by the Merseysiders.

ITN Source | April 12, 2007

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