FC Viktoria Plzeň lost 3-1 to Athletic Club in Bilbao. At the post-match press conference, head coach Miroslav Koubek answered questions from journalists

Is this another big game for you, which didn´t go well in terms of results, but you will leave with your head held high?

I´m of the same opinion. I think we have nothing to be ashamed of. We gave a good performance, the kind of performance we are capable of. We played against a quality opponent, which was especially evident in the transition phase. Bilbao have an excellent speed and technical component to their attacking game, which is difficult to defend if you want to play open, and that was our intention. We didn´t want to just defend deep here, but we tried to be active and I think we showed that we have what it takes. In the end, the quality of the opponent decided. I´m sorry for the second goal we conceded, when we didn´t protect the standard situation. In order to succeed in such games we have to be more careful in such situations and we will definitely analyse it.

We came back into the game after Milan Havel´s goal, after which the opponent got nervous. At that moment we played the best passage of the match and we were reaching for the equaliser. Unfortunately, a red card intervened in the match and in the end, when we put everything on one card, the opponent took advantage of our risky play. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with our performance.

Despite today´s defeat, you and your team gained twelve points. Are you satisfied with this result?

I have already said that I am satisfied with today´s performance. I think it was a very interesting game and we certainly have a lot to be proud of. Our goal before the season was to advance through the qualification to the group stage, which we did. Now we have made it to the knockout stage, which is another step forward. We have managed to surpass our original goal, so we have reason to be satisfied.

Based on your performances against such strong teams, are you confident of reaching the Europa League eighth-finals?

We have to believe in ourselves. There is no reason why we cannot succeed. The opponent was better, but we showed that it is not impossible to play evenly against these teams. At one point we were reaching for a point, so why not keep believing in ourselves? Every game like this brings us valuable experience, which makes the team stronger. In addition to the experienced players, there is also room for the younger ones, like today in particular for Jiri Maxim Panos, who played a decent amount of minutes and clearly stood up.

In tomorrow´s draw, either Ferencváros of Hungary or Porto of Portugal await you. Who would you prefer?

On paper, you´d probably have a better chance against Ferencváros. However, I have to think about Pilsen fans who would certainly like a more attractive opponent, and that is Porto. So I´m voting for Porto.

How do you see your next matches in the Europa League compared to the domestic competition? Is it an advantage or a disadvantage that you will have a tougher schedule compared to the teams that have already dropped out?

This is an eternal topic. Our goal is to do our best in both the Europa League and the domestic competition. Winning in Europe moves the whole club forward. In terms of a busy schedule, we have two weeks in England so far. If there are more, we´ll see. Anyway, we will be happy to continue in the Europa League for as long as possible.