Hareide: I feel horrible after Malmo rout

Departing Malmo coach Age Hareide said he felt horrible after witnessing his team’s embarrassing Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

Hareide – coaching in his final match at the club – farewelled Malmo in the worst possible way as Madrid humbled the Swedish visitors 8-0 in the final Group A fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals in the equal biggest Champions League victory.

A dejected Hareide, who has been linked to the Denmark vacancy, attempted to offer an explanation for Malmo’s performance in the Spanish capital, pointing to the fact that the Swedish league finished in October.

“I feel horrible. It was such a horrible defeat,” the 62-year-old said via UEFA.com, after Malmo finished bottom of the group with just one win.

“We are having problems right now – the Swedish league has finished and we are not playing many matches back home. We played against second-division teams in Sweden and then we came to Madrid. The weather in Sweden is not very good now … I’m trying to give some explanations.

“It’s the same to lose 1-0 or 8-0, I don’t mind. To lose is to lose. But we didn’t play well tonight. We knew it was going to be difficult but we didn’t expect to concede eight. We have played against some of the best teams in the world and this is very hard for a new team like ours. We were below our level individually and collectively. Yet we had incredible support from our fans.

“We have played many matches and just one game can’t make the difference. Of course it hurts to lose this way but you have to take it. Life goes on. I have already said goodbye to my players and now I’m going home. I told them they have done an impressive job.”