Nuno Santos, Francisco Trincão, Rafael Nel and Iván Fresneda talk after the game

Following the epic 5-0 victory for Sporting Clube de Portugal over FK Bodø/Glimt, which secured their place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, several players gave their thoughts on the occasion.

Nuno Santos (Sporting TV)
"It was fantastic. We dream of being footballers in order to enjoy these moments. We are at Sporting CP, a great club where we have made a lot of history in recent years and now have done it once again. We were true lions. We lost the first game, but we strongly believed that we could turn it around -and we did. That's how football is; things change very quickly. Not long ago I was injured and now I'm there experiencing these moments. It's an incredible feeling. I congratulate the team and our fans, who were very important to us.

In Norway it was tough, but that's football. Our fans were fantastic from beginning to end and we didn't let the opposition breathe. We were persistent and we are very happy.

We started very well in both halves. I send congratulations to FK Bodø/Glimt for the first game. May they continue to do well in their domestic league. 

It was the fans who made us believe. They were, once again, fantastic. We always need them and we have a lot still to achieve."

Francisco Trincão (Sporting TV)
"It's unique, historic, and unprecedented. We believed, the fans believed, and everyone believed we could do it. FK Bodø/Glimt are a great team and were coming off five consecutive wins in the UEFA Champions League. We knew it would be difficult, but we went out there from the first minute believing we could do it, and we made it happen.

We were warned in the game in Norway. We had to do a lot to win; they are an excellent team. We were intense from the start, and we had the support of the fans. Before the game, we talked amongst ourselves and felt the energy from outside. 

Now we have to rest, because this game really took its toll on us. We have a Liga Portugal game ahead of us, and then the international break. We have to take advantage of this moment.

We felt that the fans wanted it and believed in us as much as we did. Maxi Araújo cried, Luis Suárez cried, everyone cried. We have to be grateful and always stick together, because we can still do beautiful things."

Rafael Nel (Sporting TV)
"On the bench, I felt I could come on and help the team. I felt a lot of support from the fans, who believed in me, and that helped a lot. It gave me a boost. Playing in the UEFA Champions League, especially in this stadium and representing Sporting CP, is a source of pride for me and my whole family. Scoring and hearing the roar of the stadium was a very happy moment for me.

The ball was won back and, out of nowhere, we managed a very quick transition. Daniel Bragança looked at me, passed me the ball, and I managed to score. It was a very happy moment and it could be the first of many goals representing this club. This night will be forever etched in my memory. I dare say it was the happiest night of my life.

I think today was the most beautiful stadium I've ever seen. I felt that the whole crowd was cheering us on, which was very important."

Iván Fresneda (mixed zone)
"I have no words to describe this team. We really believed a lot during this week. We were sad about the tough first leg defeat against FK Bodø/Glimt, but we never stopped believing and we really deserved to go through. The game in Norway didn't go as we expected, but we worked hard throughout the week to win this week. We left everything out there from the first minute. We demonstrated the true value of Sporting CP.

I've had some memorable nights at this stadium and this is one of the best. My performance could be one of the best I've had. I work hard for that. I dedicate this victory to my grandfather, who I'm sure was watching from heaven, and to the whole team, who work very hard, as well as the coach and the team. It's also for the fans, who supported us throughout the entire game.

How far can we go in the UEFA Champions League? We'll see. The tie against Arsenal will be difficult. On Sunday we have a very difficult game in Alverca and we'll be going all out in that too."