Athletic were rewarded for their persistence to take the three points with Unai Gómez’s goal almost in the last game of the match against Las Palmas. The red and white had chances, but the reward didn’t come until injury time. “In the same way last year we lost points in the last minutes, this year we are forcing them to win. It was a very complicated match today. In the first half we had chances, in the second we pushed them a little more, ” said Valverde.
Txingurri brought Bermeo and Mikel Jauregizar to the field in the second half. “If they play there is a reason. They should give us things. I have confidence in what they can do, but they have to do it well. Unai is very good, he already has two goals. If Jaure leaves, he will be responsible for the release of the game. That’s because it has capacity,” he added.
His team had more than enough chances to win before the goal in extra time. “The key is to score. The important thing is to have opportunities. That’s about it. And then we don’t want to concede too much. In San Mamés we always push, there are times when you don’t have a prize, it’s still the same,” he said.
“I look at the numbers we have now from last year. I don’t think we did more than the day of Elche. But those are the circumstances. When you push and don’t get the prize it weighs more. I remember that the year we entered the Champions League the feeling was that we would continue until the end of the games,” he said.
The coach also made an assessment of the year that is about to end. “From a professional point of view, I think that Athletic fighting for Europe from January 1 to December 31 is good for everyone, something good for the club. I am happy with the team, both last season and this season . Players give everything, some footballers will grow as time goes by. We all need to congratulate each other.”
Finally, the player from Gasteiz explained the sensations he felt with the winning goal: “It was a rare moment. Scoring at the end with the courage that Unai has…. Even if he cancels, it’s the same,” he said. It’s not for the less. His team goes into the Christmas holidays with 35 points in their locker, the same as Atlético did, although the colchoneros played one less game.
Valverde ended the press conference by congratulating everyone present in the San Mamés press room on the holidays.
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.
