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Click on the arrow for a match highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q8Ev9-XkzM&feature=c4-overview&list=UU-oWQqnf8B8a_TsmVi0mTUg

Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club awoke this morning with mixed feelings after being relegated last night at Bloomfield Stadium from the Champions League.  True, the Swiss side FC Basel advanced to the play-off stage of the Champions League at Maccabi's expense, but only after the home side had staged a heroic comeback from an early 3-0 deficit to draw 3-3.  Coach Paulo Sousa said that “The most important conclusion I draw from the match is the way the team played.  They faced difficult opposition but they played very well and proved that they are true Maccabis, just like our fans”.

Team captain Sheran Yeini said: “They are a true European team and there were long periods in the match when everything lined up for them.  We were punished for every mistake we made and as a result we had to work even harder to get back into the game”.  His fellow defender Carlos Garcia was very disappointed with the outcome and said: “By now all of Europe know our fans. It was very difficult for us because the fans gave so much of themselves and we were still relegated from the Champions League.  This was a dream for us, but we were eliminated even though Basel played no better than we did”.  Forward Rade Prica expressed his own frustration and said: “I’m frustrated of course that the result didn't go our way, although there were many moments when we thought we might be able to change that.  We made things difficult for ourselves by conceding early on.  They got an early penalty out of nothing, and that made everything so much more difficult.  But when we got back into the game, we truly thought we’d turn things around.  That’s what makes it so disappointing now”.

Click on the arrow to see post-match commentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5kK-CRNiaY&feature=c4-overview&list=UU-oWQqnf8B8a_TsmVi0mTUg