Hulk expressed his disappointment after Shanghai SIPG were dumped out of the AFC Champions League 4-3 on aggregate by Kashima Antlers on Wednesday.
The Brazilian striker, who missed the 3-1 first-leg defeat in Japan, returned from injury to score twice and earned a 2-1 win for Shanghai SIPG in the second-leg match.
However, it was not good enough to stop Kashima from reaching the quarterfinals.
“I feel full of pity because we had the dream of the Asian title, but now it is over,” said Hulk, as quoted by AFP.
“This is football, we fought to the end and now is the time to keep our heads up and focus on Sunday (against Jiangsu Suning in the CSL) and find three points.”
In the other tie on the night, Suwon Samsung Bluewings beat fellow South Koreans Ulsan Hyundai 3-0 at home to progress 3-1 on aggregate.
On Tuesday, Tianjin Quanjian and Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors advanced to the last eight.
The quarterfinals take place in August and September.
