Following Barcelona’s dramatic and painful defeat against Inter Milan and their elimination from the UEFA Champions League semifinals, the players have started reacting to the loss. Marc-André ter Stegen, who recently recovered from a long-term injury and was present with the team at San Siro, posted a message for the fans today, addressing the defeat against Inter.

Ter Stegen, as Barcelona’s captain, shared his message on Instagram. He urged Barcelona fans to be proud of their team and, with a photo of the team’s unity at San Siro, called for everyone to stand behind the team, especially ahead of El Clásico.

Ter Stegen wrote in his message: “The pain of defeat still lingers, but we can all be proud of Barcelona’s efforts in this season’s Champions League. We reached the semifinals once again. Next season, we will return and fight to win the trophy. Your support was incredible. Thank you.”

Although Ter Stegen, who has recovered from a serious injury, was included in Barcelona’s squad last week against Valladolid and is expected to play in some of the remaining matches this season, he was only present with the team in Milan because he was not registered for Barcelona’s Champions League squad.