"It was clearly very important we got through. It's vital to be in the group stages," he said.
"There's much relief all round. It's not just about these two games, we earned it through the league last season.
"We seem to make a habit of doing it the hard way in the final qualifier. The last couple of seasons have been slightly nervy, but now we can look forward to the draw.
"We have to budget for getting through to the group stages, otherwise we wouldn't be able to afford to do what we do. If you budget for failure, you achieve it, so we budget for success. That makes the knockout just that little bit nerve-wracking. You have to aim for the stars, not mediocrity.
"The chairman is much relieved and a happy man today, and now there's a buzz of anticipation for the draw.
"It gives everyone a lift. You saw what Craig Bellamy said the other week about what happened to Newcastle when they didn't qualify a few years ago. It took them weeks to get over it.
"Thankfully, that's never happened to us, and hopefully never will. It's great to be in the hat."