Marcelino: “My players deserve Europe for their hard work and professionalism.”

Athletic Club manager Marcelino believes that his team deserves a place in Europe next season.

Athletic lie one point behind seventh-placed Villarreal, giving them an outside shot at claiming the Europa Conference League spot for next year. Athletic need a draw vs Sevilla minimum on the final matchday to atleast be on level points with the Yellow Submarine and achieve seventh on head-to-head.

Speaking to the press ahead of the crucial final game, as transcribed by Marca, Marcelino said: “We didn’t arrive in the best possible scenario, which would be depending on ourselves, but arriving with the opportunity to fight for Europe carries a lot of value. We play against a very strong opponent at their home, who have conceded very few goals. Maybe they won’t be at their highest level now that they’ve guaranteed Champions League football, but we need to give our best.”

Marcelino refused to give in to rumours surrounding his future, instead choosing to throw the limelight on his players: “We will talk about the future next week, once the competition is over. For now, we should talk about the present; the fight for Europe that these players deserve for their hard work and their professionalism.”

GSFN

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