Osasuna’s coach, Jagoba Arrasate He confirmed on Monday that they were “suffering for something historic”, in reference to the Copa del Rey semifinal that closes this Tuesday against Athletic Club in San Mamés, with the final in Seville as a prize.
“In the offensive phase we are not at our best moment, but we are facing a historic event where the dynamics do not count so much. We are focused on playing a good game and going through,” said the coach of Berriatúa in the press conference before the clash of San Mamés.
He asked for “the mentality of Benito Villamarín” experienced in the round of 16 match against Betis: “we were not classified at any time, only in the penalty shootout. There were times when we were also eliminated, but because of mental strength of the team, we stayed in the game, came back twice and passed,” he said.
Arrasate expects an Athletic that “will be recognized at home, that puts a lot of rhythm here and continues with the rival”. “I also hope that my team has the personality to have the ball and remove that pressure. We have to deserve to be in the final and show a great version”, he added.
“He always plays at home. Not against us, against Real Madrid or Barcelona. He always tries to bring the game to his ground from the rhythm and from the submission of the rival. We have to be very focused,” he said.
“We had a great Cup, but we want to put the icing on the cake, playing in the final. We know that this is a historic appointment. In more than 100 years, it has only been reached once and that means it is very complicated,” said Arrasate.
He showed his “pride” for his “players, fans and everything that surrounds Osasuna”, but also “responsibility because tomorrow we can make all those people happy”.
He wasn’t nervous before the appointment: “I’m fine. I slept well today, for sure. Tomorrow on the bus too. We have the obligation to try and the illusion to achieve it. Let’s go together.”
“We have a goal advantage, yes. But we focus on the fact that the chances can increase if we see the Osasuna that we want”, said the coach about the advantage goal they will face the game.
“There will definitely be moments of suffering and we have to roll up our sleeves to spend those minutes together. I would like the game to have more alternatives than the last two that we have played there”, commented by Arrasate.
“It was a day to not do weird things and do what we did. In the Cup we went through difficult moments and, from there, we had to talk a little and do a lot”, he said about how the game was set up.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
