(Reuters) – Football has done justice to Deportivo Alaves after Asier Villalibre’s penalty deep into stoppage time in extra time secured a return to LaLiga on Saturday, coach Luis Garcia Plaza said a year after the Basque club were relegated.
Alaves and Levante were locked at 0-0 in their promotion playoff second leg, after the first leg also ended goalless a week ago, before Villalibre netted from the spot after a penalty was awarded for handball following a lengthy VAR review.
“I think that football has done justice with the promotion of Alaves,” an emotional Garcia Plaza said.
“We were better than Levante in this game — at home (last week) we were not — we created more chances and came close to scoring on many occasions.”
Villalibre kept his cool to become the hero of the night.
“I was calm, I like to take penalties and I always wait for the goalkeeper to move,” the 25-year-old striker, on loan from Athletic Bilbao, said.
“I never wonder where I’m going to shoot. It’s in the moment.”
Alaves will join already promoted second-tier champions Granada and runners-up Las Palmas in the top flight.
The 2023-24 LaLiga fixtures will be announced on Thursday. The season will begin on Aug. 11 and end on May 26.
(Reporting by Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
