Ernesto Valverde 'delighted' with top-four finish

Athletic Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde has revealed his delight following Friday's 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano in La Liga.

The result secured a top-four finish for the Basque outfit and a place in the Champions League next season.

"We took this as a final, and now we're in heaven. It is a great joy to see this team in the Champions League," he told reporters.

"We knew Rayo would come at us with intensity, so we wanted to start the match well. I thought we did that.

"For a team like Athletic to only be behind Atletico, Barcelona and Real Madrid is a triumph."

Bilbao have won 20 of their 36 league games this season.