Villarreal boss Marcelino declared himself proud of his players following the 3-2 defeat to Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
The 49-year-old saw his team’s 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions come to an end against the Catalans but had nothing but praise for the competitive nature of his players.
“The result wasn’t frustrating. Frustration comes when a team puts six past you,” Marcelino told a Press conference.
“We played a great game and competed head-to-head against Barcelona. Against a great team we came very close to achieving a favourable result.
“The goal in the last 30 seconds of the first half harmed us and then they got two in two minutes, but that’s Barca. We were in the game right up to the last second and we forced them onto the back foot.
“More than frustrated I’m extremely proud of my players,” said Marcelino, who believes the result does not have any bearing on the Copa del Rey semi-final clashes the clubs will contest in February.
“Today’s game doesn’t change anything. I don’t give much importance to it and hopefully Barca will be more interested in La Liga and the Champions League than the Copa del Rey.”
