‘EUROPA IS IMPORTANT TO GUNNERS’

HECTOR BELLERIN says Arsenal are in it to win it ahead of the start of their Europa League debut.

The Gunners kick-off their group stage campaign against German side Cologne tomorrow.

Arsene Wenger’s men qualified for the Europa League after failing to make the top four last season, finishing fifth.

The competition will be a come down after 20 successive years in the Champions League and it is one they could easily sacrifice to focus on bigger priorities like the Premier League.

But right-back Bellerin (above) insisted: “The Europa League is a very important competition for us.

“We know that if we have the possibility of winning it, we will return to the Champions League next year, which is one of our targets.

“It’s a competition we know we can win and we’re going to go out and fight as much as in the other competitions we are in to do it.

“Whoever plays, we are going to give our best.”