Carlos Corberan pays tribute to 'special' West Brom bond following play-off qualification

The Baggies will face-off twice against Southampton for a place in a Wembley showpiece final with Premier League promotion on the line.

Corberan’s men secured fifth place with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Preston in front of another sold-out Hawthorns on Saturday’s final day of the regular campaign.

The head coach admitted he would have been upset for all of those connected with the club if his side slipped at the final hurdle, and wanted to use a play-off spot to show his gratitude.

“First of all I was feeling too upset with myself if I couldn’t give these fans what they deserved,” Corberan said.

“If I couldn’t give to, not only our fans, to the people working at the club – from the media department, to the sales department, to the recruitment department, to the kitchen department, to the groundstaff department – what I received from this club from when I arrived has been a lot.

“To not give this possibility to at least have the play-offs would have made me feel very bad. Today I have the possibility to say to everyone, the fans and the people working with me, that without them we couldn’t have achieved anything.

“It has been the way to say thank you for everything that I have received here.”

The Spaniard added: “It is joy because it is always important to achieve the play-offs, at the same time there is a lot of gratitude from every single person involved – staff and players – to all of our fans.

“So for me, the last moment of the celebrations, we celebrate that thanks to them we are going to do something we wanted them to live.”

Albion were nerveless as they dispatched the Lilywhites to rubber-stamp their play-off ticket. Alex Mowatt scored a penalty on the stroke of half-time before Kyle Bartley and Darnell Furlong netted.

Corberan’s previous senior management job in England took Huddersfield Town to the Championship play-off final at Wembley, before a controversial VAR-ridden defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The head coach explained he sees moments like play-off fixtures as something money cannot buy. There were lovely scenes at full-time at The Hawthorns as players and their families celebrated a lap of appreciation with supporters.

“I think there is no money that can pay for the possibility to live these type of moments,” he added.

“That’s why football is not about money – it is about the people you meet in this process, people that you will not forget easily.

“It is about living experiences and for the people supporting to live the experiences too, that money can’t buy.”

Corberan celebrated on the pitch with his wife Claudia and the couple’s two young sons Marcos and Dario.

“It has been a special day for my wife, probably!” the Spaniard smiled. “I can’t guarantee more than for me, but I can tell you a lot.

“Because sometimes the family are with you in the difficult moments, but sometimes they aren’t with you in the good ones. Sometimes after good ones you don’t talk with them, but after the negative ones your face is not the same and your commitment with your family possibilities is not the same. Sometimes you have the day off and you are at home but your mind is not at home.

“So for me, all of our families deserve to have this moment because part of our privilege in this job has sacrifices too.”