Marcelino: “We deserved to win”
Marcelino: “We deserved to win”
Marcelino hails Athletic’s performance as they book a place in the 2022 Spanish Super Cup final
Athletic Club manager Marcelino García Toral said he was “proud” of the Lions’ performance as they reached a second consecutive Supercopa final with a 1-2 comeback victory over Atlético Madrid on Thursday night.
The Lions went behind after Unai Simon accidentally scored an own goal, but they never gave up. Late goals by centre-back Yeray and winger Nico Williams ensured Athletic booked a place in Sunday’s final against Real Madrid.
“We were the better team and we deserved to win,” Marcelino said at his post-match press conference in the King Fahd Stadium. “I think we played a pretty complete game, right from the start.
“In general terms, the match was very even, Atlético took the lead from a set piece and we were able to come back thanks to our attacking strategy.
“Now we’ll play in another final. Since I arrived, I’ve been lucky enough to have competed in four finals thanks to Athletic and the players I coach.”
Marcelino was particularly impressed with the attitude shown by the Lions after going a goal down, where a lot of teams might have capitulated, Athletic stayed strong.
He said: “We reacted well after conceding and that gave us the impetus, along with the fresh players who came in very well, to bounce back. Regardless of the result, I want to make it clear how proud I am to coach these players. This squad deserves a lot of praise for reaching in four finals in one year. Not many teams have been able to do that.”
Athletic will be up against the odds when they face Real Madrid in Riyadh on Sunday night (19:30 CET), but the underdog title is one that suits Marcelino and the Lions.
“It’s not something that makes uncomfortable,” Marcelino said about his side not being the favourites. “To say that’s not the case would be dishonest. We’re playing against three global teams.
“For us it’s an honour to be here to defend this title and to be here where so many other would like to be. But it’s Athletic who are here with these three giants. We’re going to try and bring home another Supercopa. We can’t wait for Sunday.”