Samaras hails great journey

Georgios Samaras believes Celtic's young players will learn from their UEFA Champions League experience this season after Juventus ended their campaign.

Last Updated: 07/03/13 at 00:14 Post Comment   

Goals on the night from Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella gave Juventus a 2-0 win, 5-0 on aggregate, but captain Samaras believes Celtic can look back on their overall campaign with pride.

"I would say that it was a great experience for all the lads," he told Sky Sports. "We're a young team with a lot of talent, and that's an experience we'll learn from.

"I think it was a great journey for everyone in the club, the players, the coaches, staff and supporters, they've enjoyed it from the first second to the last. Next year hopefully we'll be back in the Champions League."

The odds were always stacked against Celtic on the night but Samaras kept the result in perspective.

"We're playing against a great team in the round of 16, it's a big thing for us," he said.

"We tried to play attacking football, to press them high like we did in the first half and we had a couple of chances but we didn't take them.

"But I didn't see any negative things in the game. We keep the positive things and keep learning."

Celtic exceeded expectations by coming this far, and Samaras believes the memories of a campaign that included victory over Barcelona and a double against Spartak Moscow will stay with the club for a long time.

"We're trying really hard all together to be a successful team," he said.

"The highlights of this journey were the two games against Barcelona, the way we played, the heart we showed was something amazing, not only for the players but also the supporters and the club. We'll remember these games for many years."

Football365 Facebook Fan Page

The Football365 fan page is a great place to meet like minded people, have football related discussions and make new friends.

Related News

Sky Bet

    • Retrieving latest Sky Bet odds

Most Commented

Readers' Comments

T

he day Tonys hat goes missing for some bantz will be different story altogether..

TheBrestEver
Stoke probe 'banter gone wild'

I

m starting to think Roman may never actually be happy at the top level. If he wants all conquering fancy football I wonder if he'd be better off buying a lower division side then paying outlandish salaries to attract high caliber players too good for the division.

john matrix
The Most Unsatisfying European Victory...

R

afa has to be favourite for the Everton job now, surely :) He'll realise his ambition to live and work on Merseyside again, get the best out of whoever plays for them, maybe win some cups and be thoroughly loathed by the toffee fans. What's not to like? Go ead, Ken, gimajob!

captbusby
Benitez basks in final glory

Footer 365

Alan Pardew confident he will still be Newcastle manager next season

Alan Pardew is 'pretty confident' he will stay as Newcastle manager after ending the season with a defeat by Arsenal.

Michael Owen had mixed emotions after his final appearance for Stoke

Retiring Stoke striker Michael Owen admitted he had mixed emotions after his final appearance for the club.

Premier League: Paul Lambert says 'something is happening' at Aston Villa

Paul Lambert refused to answer questions about the future of Darren Bent following Aston Villa's 2-2 draw at Wigan.

Mail Box

James Collins Is Only 29. Tough Paper Round

He is one of a number of solid shouts for players that look old before their time. We also have the final words on lovely D-Beck and a rejection of end of season playoffs...

Without Posh, Becks Could Have Been Scholes

That's one opinion, but others give their thanks to the man. We also have ideas for a relegation playoff, happy memories of the season and a defence of Liverpool's campaign...

© 2013 British Sky Broadcasting Ltd. All Rights Reserved