Larne Manager Praises Players Despite 4-0 Loss to Red Star Belgrade in Champions League
Larne manager Gary Haveron expressed pride in his players’ efforts following their 4-0 home loss to Red Star Belgrade in the first leg of the Champions League second qualifying round.
The Inver Reds fell behind at halftime after Bruno Duarte converted a penalty, and the Serbian side added three more goals in the second half, with Duarte scoring again alongside Vasilije Kostov and Muhammed Cham, nearly sealing the tie.
Haveron acknowledged the valuable experience gained from the match, despite recognizing the “different level” of the opposition. “I’m extremely proud,” he told BBC Sport NI.
“For long stages in the first half we frustrated them and were probably a bit disappointed to come in one down given the soft penalty. I thought the shape was really good, discipline really good, and in the second half we got caught up in the occasion and chased the game a bit too much. When you give a quality team space in behind, they can hurt you, and they did that in a 10-minute spell when they scored two goals and killed the tie.”
Haveron viewed the match as a learning opportunity for the club, coaching staff, and players, noting that the quality of the finishing from Red Star was exceptional.
Larne is set to travel to Belgrade for the second leg next Wednesday at 19:00 BST. While Haveron conceded that the Champions League may be “a step too far,” he remains optimistic about the upcoming Europa or Conference League qualifiers.
“Our ceiling wasn’t the Champions League,” he emphasized. “Winning the first game [against Tre Fiori] gave us an opportunity in the Europa League and the Conference League, allowing us to compete at a more manageable level.”
He recalled past successes, stating, “We made group stages previously [2024/25], but you need to get lucky with the draw to be competitive.”
Looking ahead, Haveron concluded that the experience from playing at this stage of the Champions League will benefit the team throughout the rest of the season.