Emma Hayes: “They’re the Best Team in the World, I’ve Said it Millions of Times

Emma Hayes, aiming for her first Champions League title before heading to the United States, emphasized the need for focus and praised Barcelona in the pre-match press conference ahead of the semifinal second leg. “They’re the best team in the world, I’ve said it millions of times,” she remarked about Jonatan Giráldez’s side.

The Chelsea manager highlighted Barcelona’s ability to “cause damage in many ways” and urged her team to “stay connected every minute.” Hayes emphasized that to win the European title, they must overcome “the best” and noted that despite their advantage from the first leg, the tie lasts 180 minutes and is only halfway through. She stressed that they must “be perfect to progress” and mentioned they have made “changes” to face the return leg.