Valverde: “We're in Europe, the goal now is to stay fourth and reach the final”
Valverde: “We're in Europe, the goal now is to stay fourth and reach the final”
This is what the gaffer had to say to the press as Athletic confirmed European football for a second season running after a 1-0 win over Las Palmas
Ernesto Valverde ve al equipo lleno de confianza en el tramo final de la temporada: "Estamos donde queríamos"
Ernesto Valverde was pleased to see his side confirm another season of European football with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Las Palmas at San Mames on Wednesday evening.
Iñaki Williams' early opener has guaranteed Athletic Club will at least play in the Conference League next year, with Europa League or Champions League qualification also now real possibilities.
"We'll playing in Europe for a second year in a row, something that fills us with pride," Valverde said after the match.
"We have been fighting for this since the beginning and, with five games to go, we have 60 points. All this while juggling LaLiga with other competitions.
"Our goal now is to hold on to fourth place and try to reach the Europa League final."
Regarding the match, the Zurigorri coach admitted that ‘it was a hard-fought three points".
He added: "Las Palmas came here in good form and it was difficult for us, even if we did go close to getting a second at the end."
When asked about Oihan Sancet's injury, Valverde said: "We hope it's not not too serious. It's something muscular, but we have to wait for the tests tomorrow."
The gaffer admitted it will be good for the players to now have a week's rest in order "to prepare for the semi-final", especially as "there's no rest afterwards".
He concluded: "The team are looking good, we're in good shape. This is what we wanted and we're confident."