After the 0-2 against Real Madrid on the first day of the League and the disappointment carried over from the previous campaign after losing a place in Europe and in the Cup final in direct competition with Osasuna, disaster settled in Bilbao throughout August. Valverde is outdated, how they released Iñigo Martínez, no center forward, the philosophy is outdated… Pure and simple defeat.
A few months later, the same Athletic with the same coach and a similar squad already cruised across the estuary on the Gabarra thanks to defeating Mallorca on penalties in the final of the KO tournament. Lions are more effective than vermillions from a lethal point of view, but the opposite may have happened. Small and not so small details make the difference in this final cup holder.
What a triple change!
Valverde also made a maneuver that is now understood, but at the exact moment he did it it caused a lot of protests. Iñaki Williams, Sancet and Guruzeta are out and Raúl García, Muniain and Berenguer are in extra time. A triple change added to Vesga for Beñat Prados at half-time. To all this, it can also be added that Athletic faced the penalty shootout with the substitute goalkeeper in the League and the starter, a specialist in this type of shots, on the bench.
The bets came right out for the acclaimed red-and-white coach. The four lions who replaced their teammates were successful from the deadly spot, Agirrezabala stopped one and did not have to shoot the fifth.
Athletic emerged champions after 40 years. Half of Seville in red and white and all of Bizkaia in celebration. The same team that started the League with a stumble won the Cup and continues to fight for a place in the Champions League and the institution remains true to its essence. The greatness of this club does not lie in the way it celebrates the good times, but in always knowing how to deal with the bad times. Some, yes, just sign up for the first ones.
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.
