Regis Le Bris, the head coach of Sunderland, has expressed his admiration for his team's character after they clinched a thrilling 2-1 victory against Torreense in the Europa League.
Following the final whistle, Le Bris highlighted the significance of this result for both the club and its supporters.
“We are back in Europe after 53 years – and once again playing in Portugal. To win at the death is something truly special.
This victory is symbolic and holds great importance for many reasons. Our supporters were magnificent today and continually provide us with tremendous backing,” the manager stated on the club's official website.
The Frenchman also noted that the team maintained their belief in themselves even after conceding a goal.
“The team showed faith in their abilities tonight and fought until the very end. We demonstrated that mentality again, and that’s very important for us,” Le Bris emphasized.
In particular, the coach discussed the development of his young squad. He acknowledged that gaining experience is essential for the team to become more stable and adept at handling various match scenarios.
“As a team and as a club, we are maturing, and we need that experience. The average age of our starting eleven tonight was just 22 years. This team is young, but it has enormous potential.
To unlock that potential, we need to gain more experience, learn, and develop. We must understand that there won’t be any easy matches, so we need to keep our stability and discipline while working hard every day. Our players demonstrated that today,” the coach added.
This victory keeps Sunderland's perfect record intact after two matches in the Europa League group stage. It also provided a valuable lesson: even if the team doesn’t start a game convincingly, persistence and sound decisions after the break can alter the outcome.
The Black Cats' next challenge will be a Premier League clash against Bournemouth before they travel to Poland to face Lech in their next Europa League fixture.
