Marcelino: “The players deserved it, but we didn’t get enough points”
Marcelino: “The players deserved it, but we didn’t get enough points”
Marcelino bemoaned a lack of accuracy in the final third, “especially away from San Mames”, which punished Athletic once again
Despite falling short at the final hurdle, Athletic Club boss Marcelino García Toral insisted his players “deserved” to play European football next season but admitted they missed out on opportunities to pick up more points.
Athletic Club’s dreams of qualifying for the Conference League came to an end on Sunday night, the 1-0 defeat to Sevilla coupled with Villarreal’s win over FC Barcelona means the Lions finished the 2021/22 LaLiga campaign in eighth place.
“The players desereved it, they’ve performed well and progressed over the course of the season. We just didn’t get enough points,” Marcelino said after the match in Seville.
“I’m proud and please with how this team has worked this season. But there are seven teams who won more points than us. Although our overall numbers were good, I’m sure they could have been better.”
A second-half strike from Rafa Mir saw Athletic fall to a 1-0 defeat. Marcelino said Sevilla “were the better side in general and the result was fair”.
He continued: “We had clear chances to take the lead in the first half, and especially with Iñaki Williams hitting the post right at the start of the second half, but the ball wouldn’t go in.
“We lacked goals this season, especially away from San Mamés, and that has punished us a lot.”