Wigan boss Roberto Martinez has insisted luck did not play a part in his side’s 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City on Saturday.
Martinez’s men went into the game as firm underdogs but came out winners thanks to Ben Watson’s 90th-minute header, which came after Pablo Zabaleta had been sent off.
And the Spaniard says Wigan’s “incredible” performance, not good fortune, was the reason behind their first trophy win since lifting the Second Division title in 2003.
“In any final you feel the result could go either way. We were playing an incredible side. We didn’t win by luck – from start to finish it was an incredible performance,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“The FA Cup is such a special tournament, and everyone deserves to feel proud today.”
“We’ve got two big games in front of us and we wanted to conserve energy, but it was difficult!
“Everyone wrote us off before the game, but we were following a dream. You cannot describe the feeling at the moment. My players faced adversity and played with a smile. I am so proud of them.”
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan led his team out prior to the final, 53 years on from breaking his leg playing for Blackburn Rovers in the Wembley showpiece.
And the 76-year-old has admitted he did not believe the club were capable of pulling off an emotional victory.
“At the start, secretly I didn’t think we could win. I thought we’d fight and we would be close,” he said.
“You cannot describe what it feels like when you get hold of that FA Cup. Now we want Wigan rugby league team to come here and lift the Challenge Cup, and then both the cups are in Wigan!”
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