Stephan Lichtsteiner has revealed he is still gutted about Juventus‘ Champions League final defeat in June.
Juventus lost to Barcelona 3-1 in Berlin and in a lengthy interview with Fifa.com. Lichtsteiner also spoke about Italy as a footballing country.
“On the day of the game I wasn’t really that nervous,” Lichtsteiner told Fifa.com in an exclusive interview.
“I was pretty relaxed and just incredibly excited about the final. I knew that in two hours it would all be over, one way or another.
“But I was pretty nervous in the week leading up to the game.
“You think about winning the title, everything revolves around that one game and you can’t wait to get out there and start playing.
“We’d had a great season, having won two titles already, and were prepared to get our hands on the big trophy.
“Both the supporters and the players were desperate to make that dream a reality.
“Juve are one of the biggest teams in Europe, but still not quite at the same level as Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich.
“Clubs like these reach the final on a regular basis.
“For me, however, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I knew it was now or never.
“I was therefore incredibly disappointed after the match and still am today.
“In hindsight, I can be happy with everything we achieved last season as a team.
“I’m also proud of my own performance. I played every minute of our 13 Champions League matches last season.
Lichtsteiner then went onto talk about Italy as a country
“Italy is one of the nicest countries in Europe and has everything you could wish for.”
“You’ve got the ocean, the mountains, the lakes, great food and a fantastic lifestyle.
“I’m also a big fan of the mentality of the Italian people. They’re open and relaxed, perhaps more so in the south than in the north.
“They’re also extremely passionate about football, which is more of a tactical game in Italy.
“The emphasis is placed on perfection and that doesn’t always result in the sort of spectacle we’re used to seeing in other leagues.
“But you can feel how much the Italians love their football. Everyone has an opinion which they’re eager to put across.”
