Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo said his team has become confident in their abilities after eliminating Juventus and Bayern Munich from the Champions League and believes in their chances of overtaking Liverpool and reaching the final of the continent’s top club competition.
The Spanish team won the European League last season and continued its brilliance by reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in 16 years.
“We are very confident looking at the teams we beat, not only this year, but also last year in the Europa League, as well as the fantastic run so far in the Champions League,” Parejo told reporters ahead of the first leg at Anfield later on Wednesday.
“The elimination of Juventus and Bayern was very important for us because it showed that we can reach a level where we can compete with these teams.”
Parejo credited the team’s success to club owner Fernando Roig and vice president Jose Manuel Laneza. Billionaire Roig took over Villarreal in 1997 and played a role in the club’s evolution into one of the best teams in Spanish football.
“The club that the Roigs acquired 23 or 24 years ago with Jose Manuel Laneza has been in many European competitions for many years … It was not just a coincidence,” Parejo said.
“It came as a result of hard work and hard work, trust in the project, taking care of it, giving it importance and allowing people to work. I believe that when you trust a project and give it importance, the chances of success are much higher.”