Valverde refuses to write off Athletic's Supercopa chances against Barça
Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde strikes defiant tone ahead of Barcelona semi-final clash in Saudi Arabia, backing his squad despite recent 4-0 league defeat.
Athletic Bilbao boss Ernesto Valverde isn’t treating the Spanish Supercopa as some throwaway competition, making it crystal clear his lions are hungry for success ahead of their semi-final showdown with Barcelona.
”Why shouldn’t we believe?”
The gaffer was in a proper confident mood during his pre-match press conference, refusing to accept the underdog tag despite Barcelona being tipped as the favourites by most pundits.
“Why shouldn’t we trust this team?” Valverde asked reporters, displaying the kind of belief that’ll have Athletic fans dreaming of silverware. “Our supporters will back us. We always leave everything on the pitch.”
It’s a fair question from the veteran manager, even if his side were on the wrong end of a 4-0 hiding when these two sides met in La Liga recently. Football’s a funny old game, innit?
Tactical approach
Valverde knows his boys will need to be clinical if they’re going to knock off Flick’s Barcelona:
- He pointed to Espanyol’s recent performance against Barça as evidence the Catalans aren’t invincible
- Acknowledged the need for precision in attack: “If we want to win tomorrow, we need a high dose of accuracy”
- Admitted Barcelona’s early goal in their previous league encounter made things difficult
Williams brothers fitness boost
In what’ll be music to Athletic supporters’ ears, both Iñaki and Nico Williams appear to be trending in the right direction fitness-wise:
- Iñaki has been sidelined for two months but is working his way back
- Nico is “getting better little by little” according to the boss
- The squad has faced attacking injuries earlier in the season, now dealing with defensive absences
Saudi setting
While some managers might have a moan about playing in Saudi Arabia rather than Spain, Valverde took a diplomatic approach to the tournament’s location:
“For us, it’s an incredible prestige to come and play the Supercopa,” he stated, though he did acknowledge they might have better chances with their own supporters present in a different format.
“If you’re here, it’s because you’ve done something good. Either you’ve won something or you’ve come close. Being here is a prize, and we want an even bigger prize.”
With Barcelona’s recent form and Athletic’s determination to upset the apple cart, tomorrow’s semi could be a right Bobby Dazzler.