Espanyol's hearts broken again but they hold heads high

GLASGOW, May 17 (Reuters) Espanyol's hearts were left broken again after they lost a second UEFA Cup final on penalties, but coach Ernesto Valverde said his team could hold their heads high following defeat to fellow Spaniards Sevilla.

''The history of Espanyol in the UEFA continues the same way as before,'' Valverde told a news conference following his side's 3-1 defeat on penalties after a pulsating rain-lashed final at Hampden Park ended 2-2 after extra time.

''It was a cruel ending for us again, but we can go home with our heads high. We have ended the competition without losing a game and we've won 11 of the 15 we have played.'' The Barcelona-based team lost their only previous final in a penalty shoot-out against Bayer Leverkusen in 1988 after surrendering a 3-0 advantage from the first game of the two-legged final. Leverkusen won the return leg by ther same score -- then won the cup on penalties.

This time Espanyol twice came from behind to level the game at 2-2 with five minutes of extra-time remaining, and the game appeared to be swinging in their favour ahead of the penalty shoot-out.

But once again their hopes were dashed as they appeared to be on the brink of victory when Sevilla keeper Andres Palop saved three of their four penalties.

However, Valverde, who played in the first leg of the 1988 final, said he would rather his side lose this way than be beaten in the regulation 90 minutes.

''I was convinced we could win after coming from behind twice. I think the players were fantastic. If they had to lose I would prefer it to be like this.'' Valverde said that the 68th-minute sending off of midfielder Moises Hurtado for picking up a second booking had been the decisive incident in the game.

''The sending off was crucial,'' he said. ''I thought that if it had been 11 against 11 we would have won. They scored their goals when we were playing our best and the sending off came when we were playing well too.'' ''But I was still convinced we would win on penalties even though I knew Palop was so strong and he turned out to be the outstanding player of the game.'' ''Even though it was a cruel way to lose I can tell you that the team feels like champions.'' REUTERS SAM HS1012