Vicente Iborra sets clear Villarreal objective amid La Liga setbacks

Vicente Iborra has made it crystal clear that Villarreal need to finish the season in the European spots.

The Yellow Submarine are still impressing in Europe, reaching the Champions League quarter-finals thanks to a superb second leg win over Juventus in Turin.

But in La Liga, they continue to underachieve despite a good run to start 2022.

Following a disappointing defeat to Cadiz, Villarreal remain outside the tops six, currently in the Europa League Conference spot, three points behind Real Sociedad in sixth and five behind Real Betis in fifth.

That’s a disappointing position given the La Liga hopes the Yellows had coming into this season.

And while the European success detracts a little from those disappointments, midfielder Iborra has warned that Villarreal simply must find a way to secure European football.

Photo by Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Images

“I think the team is capable of putting together a good run of results. We should value the significance of La Liga,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday.

“La Liga is what puts you in Europe, that allows you to live the games we are living now.

“We should make one step at a time, that extra step that we should make as a team.

“We are already conscious of the important of being in Europe.

“It’s important that the club ends up in Europe each year. That is the objective for the club to continue growing.”