Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde speaks to the media ahead of their game against Valencia.  

Although Athletic Bilbao has already secured a spot in the Champions League next season, coach Ernesto Valverde stressed the spirit of the squad and urged the players to remain ambitious and strive to secure fourth place or even higher.  

Ernesto Valverde said: "We are very happy. This is the second time this century that we have qualified for the Champions League, which means a lot to us. If there is one thing that makes us different from other teams, it is our spirit of unity. This spirit has helped us overcome many difficulties and put pressure on our opponents."  

"We had to make some adjustments to stay fresh. We almost played our last game on Friday and got back to the hotel very late. Then we had to travel again and some players had played three games in a row without a break."  

"Valencia played very well in their last game and are indeed a difficult team to beat. From their performance, you can see that they are full of confidence and optimistic. They have come out of the trough and now have the opportunity to enter the European arena again, which is not unfamiliar to them."  

“It’s their last home game of the season and they will definitely want to get a good result. We want to consolidate fourth place and see if we can go further until the very end. All teams will play at the same time and we have to do our best.”