What did the coaches of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich say after the Champions League quarter-final showdown?

Coaches Alvaro Arbeloa and Vincent Kompany expressed their views after the fierce battle between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final return match.

Coach Alvaro Arbeloa appeared disappointed when addressing the media after the 3-4 defeat to Bayern Munich, a result that halted Real Madrid's progress in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

The Spanish strategist could not hide his pain and frustration, especially as he believed a controversial red card directly impacted the match's outcome.

"It's painful... truly very painful. Especially because of how everything unfolded. I congratulate Bayern for their outstanding performance in both matches, but we wanted to be defeated in a different way."

"It was an inexplicable red card, nobody understood it. Therefore, we felt injustice and anger. All our effort and hard work went down the drain because of such a referee's decision," Arbeloa said.

The Real Madrid manager continued to express his confusion: "No one understands why a player was sent off in such a situation. At that moment, the play had already ended. It was an unfair decision, and we were truly hurt. This is something you cannot control. I am very proud of the players and the fans. It's painful that we won't be able to secure our 16th title this year. Now we must focus on the next match."

Arbeloa also affirmed that he deployed his strongest lineup aiming for victory: "I used the lineup I believed was best to win the match. We came here not to probe, but to score. We needed players capable of escaping Bayern's intense pressing. I would do exactly the same again. I am very proud of the players, of this excellent team. We had many opportunities; it's unfortunate we couldn't capitalize."

Regarding the controversial red card incident, Arbeloa continued to vent his frustration: "I think he issued the card precisely because Bayern players reminded him it was the second yellow. But the issue is... it wasn't even worthy of a yellow card. I don't know, maybe he never played football... or I don't understand. It's even worse if he didn't know the player already had a previous yellow, because that would be a double mistake."

The Spanish strategist admitted it was difficult to find any positives at this moment: "I don't know if there's anything positive to draw from right now. As I always say, I take responsibility for the defeat and I will always accept responsibility. The players gave everything, even their lives. Since taking this position, I have always tried to help the club in every way. We still have a few matches ahead and must defend this jersey to the end, as we did today."

Arbeloa also added about his coaching philosophy: "Since I assumed this role, the goal hasn't been to prove my value as a coach. I don't want to win through individual decisions, but by helping the players. We faced Bayern, Man City, Atlético... most teams strongly reflect their coach's imprint, and perhaps this team bears my imprint less. But I always strive to help the club in every way, and that will continue until the last day."

Despite being eliminated, Arbeloa still called it a "great match" between two top teams. He told Movistar: "We scored three goals and had chances for more. I feel sorry for the players. I regret the effort they put in. It's painful that Real Madrid cannot win its 16th title this year, but I am very proud. We left the pitch after giving everything. We had a few opportunities to score. Before they scored, we planned to make some changes, but that goal ended everything. We couldn't do it."

On Bayern Munich's side, coach Vincent Kompany expressed pride after his team defeated Real Madrid to secure a place in the Champions League semi-finals.

Kompany praised his players' fighting spirit: "It was an emotionally charged match. We controlled the ball a lot and always felt we could score. But Real Madrid is still Real Madrid. They always pose a threat."

Bayern trailed 0-1, then 1-2 and 2-3, but resiliently turned the tide to win 4-3. The Belgian manager said: "The players today were mentally strong to overcome adversity. The fans also helped us greatly. We stayed calm and always believed our moment would come. You create such moments throughout the season by consistently working hard."

Kompany emphasized that the most important thing was a fearless spirit: "What matters to me is that the players deserve to step onto the pitch without fear. You can't just talk about it; you must demonstrate it. And they did. Whether winning or losing, things are often decided by small details. The important thing is that after the match, we don't have to wonder what happened today, but know that we gave everything."