Former Wigan Athletic defender Paul Scharner has spoken to the Austrian media about the club’s FA Cup triumph in 2013.
Latics pulled off one of the biggest upsets in an FA Cup final when they defeated a star-studded Manchester City side.
Speaking to Heute, the 45-year-old was asked about his feelings when they defeated Manchester City with Ben Watson’s winning goal.
The former Austria international said he was overwhelmed at the end of the game due to the pressure of the occasion. He went on to say he re-signed for Wigan Athletic in the hope they could win the FA Cup, and it was a massive sense of relieve when they actually achieved it.
“I cried for three minutes after the final whistle. An insane burden had fallen off me. I had announced three months earlier that I wanted to win the FA Cup. That was the main reason why I signed with Wigan again. It was indescribable, the family was in the stadium, the atmosphere was simply breathtaking, a massive explosion of emotions,” said the Austrian.
In his two spells with Wigan Athletic, Scharner became something of a cult hero with the fans. Signing from Norwegian side SK Brann in 2006, the central defender would go on to make 153 appearances in his first spell at the club, scoring 17 goals.
His performances for Wigan Athletic earned him a move to West Bromwich Albion in 2010. He would later go on to sign for German giants Hamburg before being loaned to Wigan Athletic for a second spell with the club.
