Southampton Under-23s coach Radhi Jaïdi might have seen his players bow out of the Premier League International Cup, but that didn't in any way dent the pride he felt in the youngsters.
Saints' memorable campaign in the competition came to an end at the semi-final stage, as they were beaten 3-1 by Dinamo Zagreb II, in what was a fantastic contest in front of 3,605 supporters inside St Mary's.
Jaïdi, whose side had to play the majority of the match with ten men, had nothing but praise for his squad after their efforts in the cup this season.
radhi jaïdi
in the ten years i have been in the club, this is one of the proudest moments.
on the under-23s' premier league international cup run
"It's a very good achievement, I'm really proud of what we have built up in these last five or six months," he said.
"There were key moments, there were setbacks, there were key periods where we needed each other and we stuck to the plan, we trusted ourselves and we pushed.
"I'm very proud of the boys and how far they have come. It is really important for these boys, this kind of competition, and these kind of tests, to close the gap between them and the first-team.
"They have improved and the most important thing is the boys speak realistically to themselves and then reflect back on what they need to improve on and then move forward.
"Personally, in the ten years I have been in the club as a player and a coach, this is one of the proudest moments for myself and my family."
Jaïdi, whose side are still fighting to win the Premier League 2 Division 2 title this season, also thanked the supporters for turning out in big numbers for the game.
"One of the proud moments is to see the fans back at St Mary's for the 23s," he said. "They didn't disappoint us, they were there and they supported us until the last minute.
"I'm really grateful for that, and hopefully they can see more of our games. It's really important for the fans to be around us and have the feeling of the energy it can give to the boys."
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