Julen Agirrezabala is back on the scene. After being relegated to substitution since the start of the League, the young rojiblanco goalkeeper has the chance to make his debut under the sticks tomorrow at Alzira. Luis de la Fuente, meanwhile, called him back for a commitment to the Spanish under-21 team.
“I know the competition is high, but in my hands it’s just training every day and preparing myself as much as possible when my opportunity comes. Unai is the goalkeeper for Spain, for Athletic, and the training every day with him and Ander Iru and sharing experiences with them is also positive for me”, said Agirrezabala.
For a young goalkeeper, with an international band, even in the lower categories, and with experience in the First Division in League and Cup matches with Athletic’s first team, his current situation should not be easy to cope with. Valverde, in fact, has yet to serve in an official competitive match. Alzira, from such a point of view, opens on the horizon as his first chance of the season to train under the sticks.
“I don’t know yet (yesterday around 10 in the morning) if I will play in the Cup. The coach hasn’t told me anything yet. I just need to practice like I have been doing until now to keep improving and be ready for any game. The Cup, from that point of view, is another match and if it’s time to play, give your best to get through the round”, argues the young rojiblanco goalkeeper.
Athletic player
Given his current situation, it seems unreasonable to imagine a possible change of destination to make up for the minutes he lacks at Athletic. Agirrezabala, however, leaves no room for doubt: “I never thought of leaving. I am an Athletic player and my goal is to play some minutes. Now it’s not easy, but this is my goal.”
The young goalkeeper stands his ground when asked about the same question under a different argument. How long will it last in the shade?
“I don’t think about it, I think about it every day. By improving all the aspects I can improve because I have a lot of room. This ability will help me as a person and as a professional. The atmosphere between the three goalkeepers; First, Ander and I; is very good. It’s not easy not to play and be inactive, but I have to be ready for everything that comes”, Agirrezabala reasoned in an exemplary way.
The Athletic goalkeeper has not been under the sticks in an official first-team match since the second leg of the Cup semifinal at the Mestalla. That night the lions were removed. The possibility of playing in a third straight final was lost in a match of unpleasant memories for the rojiblancos.
“That was my last game at Athletic because I played another one at Bilbao Athletic. It left me with a bad feeling for staying at the doors of a possible final and for what happened. Those other nights of the Cup is there because before we eliminated Barça and Madrid. We have the thorn from that semi and from the two lost finals “, he argued.
The lions’ first rival in the new edition of the KO tournament is Alzira. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t another party. It’s different in terms of the stadium, the rival, the fans… Even if it is a lesser category rival, we know they’re going to make things difficult for us. We have to approach it as a final because it is a life or death game”.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
