Aitor Ruibal shared his disappointment following "Betis" Sevilla's 4-1 defeat to "Chelsea" in the Conference League final. The Spanish forward couldn't hide his emotions when speaking to the media after the match.
"It's very unfortunate that we couldn't gift this title to the fans. I'm hurting for them. They've carried us on their shoulders throughout the season," – Ruibal told AS.
The 28-year-old attacker believes the opening goal severely impacted the team's performance, despite a strong start to the game. "Betis" had shown promising signs before things unraveled against their London opponents.
"In the first half we played better than Chelsea. The first half demonstrated what we've been doing all season," – he explained.
According to Statbet data, this was "Betis'" first-ever European final appearance, making the defeat particularly painful for the Spanish side's supporters who traveled to the match.
Despite the disappointing scoreline, Ruibal remained defiant about the team's achievements this campaign.
"I know what this has cost us. We've gone through many difficulties, we had tough stretches along this journey. But we believe in ourselves and will continue moving forward," – the forward added.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini also reportedly commented on the defeat, though his specific remarks weren't detailed in the source. Can "Betis" bounce back from this European disappointment next season?
