Roberto Martinez Wants Everton To Return To Europe

Everton manager Roberto Martinez wants a return to European football despite admitting it affected their Premier League campaign last season.

The club’s domestic form improved significantly after they were knocked out of the Europa League in March, but Martinez said lessons had been learned.

“Does playing in the Europa League have an impact on the league? The answer is clearly yes,” he said.

“But it is still our aim and one of our targets.”

In Martinez’s first season on Merseyside, Everton finished fifth but they spent much of 2014-15 in the bottom half of the table, winning two of 16 league games between 30 November and 4 March.

They finished 11th, winning five of their final nine matches after their last-16 European exit to Dynamo Kiev.

Martinez said: “It’s different when you are playing in Europe season after season. You get that mentality and habits and into a position where you can cope with it a lot better.

“Psychologically it’s very tough… like having to go to Russia on a Thursday and arriving back on a Friday afternoon to face Manchester United at Old Trafford for an early Sunday kickoff is a physical aspect that will affect you.

“We want to be in those situations, to be playing in Europe year after year but that is something that is becoming harder in our league as you can imagine.”

Everton play Stoke City on Wednesday in the opening game of the Premier League Asia Trophy in Singapore.

BBC SPORTS