Argentine coach Alejandro Sabella said his team's 1-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup final on Sunday was a moment of sadness but he was also proud of their performance.
Sabella, speaking to television cameras on the sideline of the pitch, said he felt "the sadness of not being able to win the tournament, but pride for a team that played a great game."
"I congratulate the players, who are the pride of a country because of the effort they made and the tournament they had," he added.
Midfielder Javier Mascherano said: "The pain is immense. We wanted to take the cup back to Argentina once again.
"We are gutted," he added. "We gave what we could and we are sorry for the people who came and for the people in Argentina.
"The pain will be for life because this was our opportunity," Mascherano said. "We have to lift our heads and endure the pain."
Published 14 July 2014, 05:39 IST