In the finals once again! We've got to win this

Petr, how does it feel to be in the final of a European cup once again?
I'm glad we made it. Back when we dropped out of the Champions League everybody assumed we wouldn't take Europa League seriously. But we kept stressing the point that we wanted to get as far as possible and put ourselves into the position of a trophy contender. We invested a lot of time and effort into it, and we've completed the first step. Now we've just got to win the final.
Do you perceive your win against Basel as a fulfillment of an obligation?
You've got to take games like that seriously. It was the Europa League semifinals after all and Basel hadn't come that far by accident. They had eliminated a considerable amount of good teams, for example Tottenham. I'd said it wouldn't be easy, and easy it was not.
You were losing 0-1 at half-time. How was the mood in the dressing room?
Not overly optimistic, obviously. We had a little talk since we all knew it was our duty to start performing. It was blatant we wouldn't advance if we'd carried on like that. We knew we had to put Basel under more pressure and start scoring. Fortunately that's exactly what happened.
You scored three goals in nine minutes.
Yes, we managed to break through our opponent's defences. They started out bearing in mind they had to maintain the lead and when that plan suddenly crumbled, they were a bit taken aback. Our second goal was crucial and the third one sealed the result for good.
The third goal was scored by David Luiz from a longshot, right into the top corner. How did you find that strike?
When I was watching him take the shot I remember thinking he would overshoot by metres. But this ball is truly exceptional and any distance or angle may very well work. David demonstrated once again that he has excellent kicking technique for a defender.
What's your greatest motivation now that the season is drawing to a close?
We keep fighting on two fronts. One of our priorities would be to qualify for next year's Champions League and hence it's essential that we acquire as many points in the Premier League as possible. Every single game will be important. Our second goal is to win the Europa League. It would be the first time in history that a Champions League trophy holder won the Europa League cup in the following year. That's a lot of motivation. It would also be nice to get to participate in the UEFA Super Cup. Last year we failed quite badly but perhaps this year we could redeem ourselves. What's more, it'll take place in Prague which is yet another incentive.

You are about to face Benfica Lisbon. How would you characterise them?

We played them last year in the Champions League; eliminated them in the quarter finals. We won 1-0 in Lisbon and 2-1 at home, although that doesn't mean it was a walk in the park. They're an experienced team which has not changed much. They certainly showed their strengths when they overturned their first leg goal deficit in the replay against Fenerbahce. We are expecting a challenging and generally equal final. Bring it on.