Martin Demichelis summed up Malaga’s misery in losing in dramatic circumstances to Borussia Dortmund.
The Costa del Sol side were on the verge of a place in the semi-finals before two last-gasp strikes from the Germans turned the tie around to a 3-2 defeat for the Spanish.
“We're hugely disappointed because we're out of a great competition,” Demichelis told UEFA’s official website afterwards.
“There wasn't much separating us from a place in the semi-finals. We probably went out in the most painful way possible.
“We played well for the whole 90 minutes and could even have made it 3-1, but then we conceded two and that really hurt.”
Focus post-match is on the two offside calls missed by officials in the build-up to Dortmund’s third and final goal.
“I am convinced that there were two offsides. I do not understand the fourth officials. What does he do if he cannot dare alter a decision?
“I have no doubts. I saw the images and they confirmed what I thought.
“We can fly home with our heads held high. Hardly anyone believed we could do it after we drew 0-0 in the first leg, but we were closer to victory than Dortmund for long periods of the match.
“I think we would have deserved a place in the semi-finals.
“We can feel proud at some point in the future but right now we are all down. There are ways to lose in this game but when it happens like that it is so disappointing. There are no words to explain it. We were really sure of our chances [of getting through].
“We did so well tonight. You need to know how to lose but it is a pity when we were so close to the semi-finals. This really hurts.”
