Christian Poulsen in the first leg at the Gelsenkirchen

The Club

CHRISTIAN POULSEN AND THE GOAL THAT CHANGED HIS CAREER

21/03/2019

The Dane speaks about the knockout tie in which he played in the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, three months before signing with Sevilla FC

That knockout tie was special for everyone, however, for Christian Poulsen it was just that little bit extra memorable. The Dane was playing for Schalke 04 in that unforgettable semi-final in the UEFA Cup. Although he did not know it at the time, Antonio Puerta's goal would change his career forever. That's how the player himself described it, retired since 2016, to the club's official media: 'It was a special day even though I was playing for the losing team. It was an experience I'll never forget. Jesús Navas crossed the ball in and it came to Antonio, who, instead of controlling it, struck the ball back in the direction it came from. An amazing goal at a key moment.'

The atmosphere left such a mark on him that he felt his future was in Nervión: 'Sevilla's stadium was small compared to Schalke's but the atmosphere was especially incredible after that goal. I still remember the atmosphere in the city and the stadium. It was really special. Maybe that's why, three months later, I signed with Sevilla and became Puerta's teammate and a member of the Sevilla family.'