Katie McCabe's Champions League winning interview in full, including f-bomb
Katie McCabe gave a compelling interview immediately after the final whistle in Saturday's Women's Champions League final win against Barcelona - in which she described her journey from Dublin to the biggest stage in European football, and name-checked some old teammates.
There was also an f-bomb and an impromptu holiday plan that might have alarmed Ireland boss Carla Ward ahead of next week's return to Nations League action.
An emotional McCabe joked that she might hop on a flight to Spanish party island Ibiza.
Instead, however, she is scheduled to meet up with her international teammates for next Friday's game away to Turkey, and the visit of Slovenia to Cork on June 3.
She will head into her latest international camp with a brand new gold medal to show off to her Girls in Green pals - thanks to Stina Blackstenius's late winner against Barcelona.
Here is every word of post-match interview:
'I'm just in disbelief, to be honest. Well, no actually, I believe it, because we suffered together today. Barcelona threw absolutely everything at us and we f**king… sorry… we kept together, we rode it out, we rode the storm, and our game-changers came on, made sure we got runs in behind, and then Stina (Blackstenius) got the goal in the end, which was unbelievable. It's unbelievable to give this to our fans, our family, the players that have been here for so long, the players that have come and gone, you used to be an Arsenal player as well, it's been unbelievable, an unbelievable day for the club.'
'Yeah, look, that word got thrown around during the week, underdogs, but we deserved to be in this final. Right from the start, we've been in it since the very start, having to qualify for the tournament and the campaign, we had some difficult results in the group stage but we bounced back in the knockout rounds, we bounced back, we kept going, we kept being resilient, persistent and we were ruthless in front of goal. It just needed one chance and Stina took it.'
'Can I just say, when I first came to the club I was a young, naïve kid that came over from Dublin, and Fara (Williams), Emma Byrne took me under their wing right from the very start, taught me what it meant to be a professional footballer, and to play for Arsenal and wear the badge, and here I am, being able to connect with Fara and for her to see me and the girls to see us, it's just an unbelievable feeling.'
'Champions League winner, we all are. To give that to our fans today, they've been unbelievable, they were with us for every kick of the game.'
'Undisclosed location. I'll probably fly out to Ibiza in the morning!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
39 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Palace co-owner John Textor would sell shares for Europa League chance
Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor is willing to sell his shares in the club in order to ensure the Eagles can enter next season's Europa League, according to reports. The American, whose Eagle Football Group owns 43 per cent of Palace, has imperilled the club's chance of a first-ever European campaign owing to his involvement with Ligue 1 side Lyon, but is ready to offload his stake to his fellow co-owners in order to bring the saga to an end. UEFA does not allow clubs with the same ownership to compete in the same European competitions in a season. Eberechi Eze scored the winning goal when Palace beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final (Adam Davy/PA) As well as his stake in Palace, the 59-year-old has a controlling stake in the French club, also via Eagle Football. However it is also reported that the European governing body does not consider Textor's influence at Selhurst Park to be decisive and is leaning towards allowing the club into the Europa League regardless. The PA news agency understands no formal decision is likely on Palace's fate until the end of June. Textor has previously spoken of his frustration at how little influence his stake entitles him to, over football matters. Victory for Oliver Glasner's side over Manchester City in last month's FA Cup final gave them their first major trophy and with it a first crack at Europe. Nottingham Forest – who are owned by Evangelos Marinakis – have written to UEFA challenging Palace's involvement in the Europa League (Mike Egerton/PA) However, Nottingham Forest have since written to UEFA to challenge Palace's Europa League spot and in the hope of taking their place. Forest's owner Evangelos Marinakis, who also owns Greek side Olympiacos, placed his shares in the club in a blind trust before the governing body's March 1 deadline, anticipating Nuno Espirito Santo's side's European qualification. At present Forest, who finished seventh in last season's Premier League, are set to enter the Conference League but would take Palace's Europa League place, should they be deemed ineligible.
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Liverpool target PSG star Barcola after Wirtz with transfer spending to top £300MILLION – and haven't ruled out Isak
LIVERPOOL are set to swoop for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola — pushing their summer spending over £300MILLION. The Premier League champs intend to spend big on another attacker even after they complete a British-transfer record Advertisement 5 Bradley Barcola has emerged as a shock target for Liverpool Credit: Getty 5 Liverpool still have hope of signing Alexander Isak Credit: Getty 5 Florian Wirtz is set to move to Anfield in a record £127m deal Credit: Shutterstock Editorial And they are prepared to battle Kop chiefs would still love 23-goal Isak to lead their But if the Toon insist on a fee of around £150m for the 25-year-old Sweden international, Liverpool will bow out and look for an alternative. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL And Barcola has emerged as a spectacular Plan B after doubts emerged over his future with Champions League winners The Anfield giants have already spent £29.5m on Wirtz's Leverkusen team-mate, defender But it is the prospect of Barcola teaming up with Wirtz, 22, and Anfield icon Mo Salah, 32, which will have fans pinching themselves. Barcola, who is Bayern's No 1 target, is no longer part of PSG's first-choice front three. Advertisement Most read in Football JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 He found himself on the bench again for last month's Champions League final against Inter Milan, coming on in the 67th minute and teeing up Senny Mayulu for the last goal in the 5-0 thrashing. Bayern have made no secret of their intention to test PSG's resolve to keep Barcola, who they signed from Lyon for £38m in 2023. Advertisement Liverpool will look to raise funds by offloading erratic forward 5
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
Minimal change in low-key squad announcement for Ireland's US summer tests
THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS low-key, the squad itself not straying too far from recent iterations after all. It was released through FAI social media channels at noon, while a press release landed in journalists' inboxes. There was no press conference with head coach Carla Ward, as is customary; some quotes instead circulated for use as the 23-player selection for a friendly double-header against the US was unveiled. Katie McCabe's unavailability was flagged last week, the captain rested after a hectic season which culminated in Champions League glory with Arsenal. Ward stated McCabe was 'on the verge of burnout' after the Nations League group finale against Slovenia, and suggested 'a number' of other players would not travel Stateside for the off-season series. More change was probably anticipated than followed, Ward selecting a relatively familiar squad as Ireland build towards their Nations League play-off with Belgium in October. Eight players were listed by the FAI as unavailable, four of them long-term injury absentees in Jamie Finn, Jess Ziu, Lily Agg and Tara O'Hanlon. Heather Payne and Leanne Kiernan had both been ruled out of the last camp, while Aoife Mannion joined the captain as the other name: the Manchester United defender played the first half of the Türkiye game, but didn't feature against Slovenia as her load — and a quad knock — was managed. Aside from the now-retired Louise Quinn, Shelbourne's Aoibheann Clancy was the only other player from the last squad not included following a recent bereavement. 'The WNT players and staff send their condolences to midfielder Aoibheann Clancy following the passing of her mother, Siobhan. She is being given the time to deal with this difficult period and has the full support of the WNT squad,' read the press release. Advertisement Hayley Nolan and Izzy Atkinson (centre) return to the squad. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Ellen Molloy, Hayley Nolan and Izzy Atkinson were the three headline inclusions. Molloy and Nolan receive their first call-ups under Ward. Molloy has been impressing in the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division since returning to Wexford, and now gets a fresh opportunity with Ireland. The 21-year-old midfielder was a regular under Vera Pauw, before an ACL injury interrupted her rise. A move to Championship outfit Sheffield United followed, and Molloy won her first senior cap since 2022 in last October's Euro 2025 playoff semi-final against Georgia. Another injury followed, she left Sheffield in January after four months due to personal reasons, and has been thriving amid home comforts. Nolan is back in the fold for the first time since late 2023 under Eileen Gleeson, having last played for Ireland in the pre-World Cup friendlies against the US. It's a full circle moment for the Crystal Palace defender, who has see-sawed between fine form and injury in recent times. 'Hayley has been unlucky to miss out on being included in recent squads, simply because we have a lot of competition for places at centre-back,' said Ward. 'We have kept an eye on her at club level, I've spoken with her managers and also had conversations with her. So we are excited to bring Hayley in and give her a chance.' There notable change is in defence, in the absence of first-choice full-backs McCabe and Mannion. Atkinson gets the nod as another left-sided option alongside Megan Campbell and Chloe Mustaki, while right-back is an area in which Ireland currently lack choice. Mannion appeared to nail down the position through the Nations League, though is naturally a centre-back. Jessie Stapleton deputised against Slovenia and will most likely have to do so again without injured duo Payne and Finn, but Nolan's versatility could also be useful. Expect huge competition at centre-half: there's a spot up for grabs for the first leg against Belgium with Anna Patten suspended, and no shortage of contenders. The rest of the squad runs along the same lines as the last, with no change in the goalkeeping department and Molloy added to a midfield selection spearheaded by Denise O'Sullivan, who will be stand-in captain. 'Ellen is a player who we have been tracking closely,' said Ward. 'She has done well for Wexford over the last two months and has been on the longlist for our squads, so we needed an opportunity to take a closer look at her in our environment and this is it. 'We know how talented Ellen is but it's how she can adapt that to international level is what we need to look at. I watched her when she was with Sheffield United and we've been watching her at Wexford, so we want to see how she gets on during this camp.' There's also continuity in attack, all who featured in the last window returning. New recruit Erin Healy is recalled, and could win her first cap in her country of birth. Atkinson is actually listed as a forward. The 23-year-old Dubliner gets a fresh international opportunity following her departure from Crystal Palace. She was in Ward's first squad where 'tough love' was offered after falling 'out of favour' at Palace, but was left out thereafter. Related Reads Recalls and absentees as Ireland squad named for US friendlies Have expectations been set too high for Ireland after mixed Nations League group? Like Molloy and Nolan, the 2023 World Cup bolter will be looking to get back in the picture. Ireland head coach Carla Ward. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Further experimentation with new faces, like younger and domestic talent, may have been hoped for in some quarters, but Ward sticks with pretty settled squad as the Belgium play-off looms large. The US provide formidable competition as the world number one, reigning Olympic champions and four-time World Cup winners. Their European-based players will be rested, but Emma Hayes still has an abundance of top stars to choose from. Ward cites her as a mentor and close friend and has unique insight, having worked in the set-up at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a scout and performance analyst. Now, she leads Ireland into their 16th and 17th meetings with the US in Denver (Thursday 26 June) and Cincinnati (Thursday 29 June). 'We know how good USA are, they've always been world-class but I believe Emma has taken them to another level and that's why this is a great test for us. To be coming up against the very best is a good opportunity for us,' said Ward. 'When these games were first proposed to us we knew that we would be without certain players, but that opens the door for others to step up. 'Of course you always want to win games but, for me, the most important aspect of these two games will be the performance and continuing to implement our processes. 'These two fixtures will be our final preparation, in terms of games, before we take on Belgium in October, so we want to make the most of these opportunities.'
