Aspas at 39 is a miracle; I'm 38 and I'm finished, says Giráldez

Celta manager Giráldez praised Aspas's performance against Union Saint-Gilloise, calling it a miracle for a 39-year-old, but warned fans the captain cannot sustain that level every match.

Celta manager Claudio Giráldez praised Iago Aspas's display in Thursday's Europa League win over Union Saint-Gilloise, describing it as miraculous for a 39-year-old player. "For me it's a miracle that a player with 39 years does what he did the other day. I'm 38 and I'm finished," Giráldez said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's home fixture against Levante.

However, Giráldez cautioned that Celta supporters must accept Aspas can no longer perform at that level consistently. "I hope we all understand that Iago is 39 years old. He's not the player he was at 30 and he has to adapt to his body and we all have to adapt to the player we have now. The other day he put on a display for half an hour and I wish we had that for 90 minutes every match, but it can't be. That's something we have to accept and enjoy," the manager explained. Giráldez did not confirm whether Aspas would start or be held in reserve for the second half against Levante.