Marcelino: “I’m very proud because this team has shown spirit and ambition” | OneFootball

The Yellow Submarine boss highlighted that his team competed superbly against a top side like Juventus

Villarreal CF head coach Marcelino García Toral spoke in the press room after analysing the thrilling 2-2 draw against Juventus FC at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

He expressed his pride and satisfaction with his players’ performance: “The feeling is extraordinary. We were playing against a great team like Juventus and we competed with them on equal terms, which is exactly what we wanted to do. At this level, you have to make the most of your moments and ours came in the first half. Then, our start to the second half could have been better. We made mistakes there. To win tonight, you need to give your very best for 90 minutes, and we gave it for 80. In those 10 minutes when we weren’t sharp, they scored twice, but even so, we reacted.”

In the same vein, Marcelino praised his side’s competitive spirit: “These players have spirit, belief, ambition and fight. We’ve shown that in two consecutive Champions League games now, and that’s no coincidence. We can compete against anyone. It’s a pity we couldn’t win, but I leave here proud and very happy.”

The Villarreal CF coach also felt his team perhaps deserved more points from their first two Champions League games: “We deserve more than what we’ve got so far, but that’s the way it is. Just one point from two matches. Our start is tough – three very demanding games against top-level rivals – but I’m happy because I see that we’re competing against very strong opponents like Tottenham and Juventus. We lacked accuracy and a bit of luck, but apart from those ten minutes we were the better team, so I’m satisfied.”

Finally, Marcelino admitted that Wednesday’s match was especially emotional for him:“To manage my first Champions League game at this stadium is very special for me. It was also an emotional night because 11 years ago my father passed away. At that time, I was Villarreal coach and that same day we played a Europa League match. It’s a shame we couldn’t win, but tonight we played a wonderful match against a great rival. I feel emotional remembering him and very proud of the team. It was a big night for us.”