Leonardo Jardim "proud" of AS Monaco players

AS Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim has paid tribute to his team for reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Monaco's journey in the competition was ended on Tuesday night when they suffered a 2-1 defeat in the second leg of their semi-final with Juventus, which saw the Italian champions win 4-1 on aggregate.

Jardim refused to criticise his players after failing to make the final, however, with the 42-year-old revealing that he was "proud" of their efforts in the European Cup.

"On one side was a team with a lot of experience and the other a lot of youth," Jardim told beIN Sports: "We are very happy to have been in this semi-final, I'm very proud of the players. We played today after we played on Saturday [against Nancy], and the players did their best.

"We could not have played for the draw. It is a result that makes us leave with our heads held high. We represented French football well. Now let's focus on the championship. Let's recover well, the players made a lot of effort here in Turin.

"We've had a great Champions League [season], we are proud of the players, it was the first experience at this level of many of them."

Monaco are currently top of Ligue 1 - three points clear of second-placed and reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain with a game in hand.