Ernesto Valverde
Valverde: "We don't look up or down the classification, we look at ourselves."
The red-white coach has confirmed that Dani Vivian will be available after missing the last six encounters due to a muscle problem, while Mikel Jauregizar will not be able to leave after Carlos Tartie's injury on Sunday.
Valverde: "Nico is not 100%, and that's a problem for him and us."
Athletic coach talked about the physical problems his little brother Williams has.
Valverde: "There's no time to complain, we have to be ready for Oviedo."
Athletic Club coach talks about their match against Oviedo on the 24th day of the EA Sports League.
Valverde: "They have played better than us, they are at a great point of play and it must be acknowledged."
The Royal Society has won 0-1 to Athletic the one-way match of the King's Cup semi-finals played in San Mamés. The White-Blue team has been far superior to the red-white in the first round of the championship and has also deserved a higher prize in La Catedral.
The Royal has been superior and has struck her first blow in San Mamés (0-1)
The White-Blue team has had plenty of opportunities to get ahead in the first half, but it hasn't hit Padilla, Athletic's best player. In the second half, Turrientes has scored the goal of the Royal Society in the 62nd minute.
Valverde: "In a derbi, differences are always narrowed."
Athletic's coach appeared at a press conference on the eve of the one-way derbi in the semi-final of the King's Cup. "I don't care very much who the favorite is because he doesn't guarantee you anything," said the red-white coach. "It's a nice semifinal, very tense and exciting for the fans of both teams," he added.
First round of the Cup derbi in San Mamés, and both teams ready to fight
The lions will face the one-way match with a little less pressure after winning the Levant in the League. The Whites, for their part, have not been defeated in the last ten encounters and are on an excellent streak.
Valverde: "In the semi-final of the Cup everything is open, and it will be nice for the fans."
Athletic coach believes that "in this playoff everything is open and it will be nice for the fans. " "We recently played against the Royal Society and it was a difficult game for us. It will be difficult,there will bea rehearsal. It's a semi-final. Any rival on board would have been difficult, "Valverde said.
Ernesto Valverde: "I take every match from now on as a final"
Athletic needs to keep the three points from getting worse in the League, as they have the downhill posts at three points.
Athletic is in semi-finals thanks to an alternative eleven and the connection of the Williams brothers (1-2)
In the first half, the lions have advanced on the scoreboard with a goal on Sadiq's own doorstep. Sadiq himself has tied the match by taking advantage of a big mistake by Padilla. After the break, the red-whites have failed a penalty, but a goal by Iñaki Williams has given them victory in the 96th minute.
Athletic survived a crazy game in Leon and advanced in the Cup (3-4)
With six goals in the first half, the Valverde team has been able to match the match three times. After the break, the red-white team has been left with one less player because Paredes has seen the red card, and Unai Gómez's penalty goal in the discount has decided the match.
About Valverde Ziganda: "You have a special connection with some people, and I have that connection with him."
"We had it in the field when we played and also outside, but that doesn't take away from us not wanting to see each other tomorrow," joked the red-white technician. On the other hand, Valverde has warned that "the only way" to face the Copa del Rey championship against the Cultural Leonesa is to "come out strong" facing the "pressure" of the beating received in the Supercup against Barcelona.
Valverde admits it's "one of the worst games ever played."
"Now we have to get up after a blow that has been ugly for us. You can lose in many ways, but when you lose 4-0 to rest the opponent has been quite superior to you," added the red-white coach, who lost 5-0 to Barcelona in the semi-final of the Spanish Supercup.
FC Barcelona has shamefully left Athletic in the Supercup with five goals (5-0)
The red-white team has already scored four goals in the first half, unable to stop the flood of blaugranas. In the second half, with the match decided, the pace of the crash has dropped considerably.
Iñaki Williams: "Maybe the words weren't right, but I don't regret it."
"Having seen it, being natural and saying things as you think... you have to be a little careful many times, but it is true that it is annoying for our fans. Perhaps the forms were not right, but it is probably like playing out of the house tomorrow because we will not have many followers," regrets the red-white striker. Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde, however, has again been more pragmatic. "We are happy here," he said.
Athletic landed in Saudi Arabia after about six hours of flight
Ernesto Valverde's Athletic arrived at around 22:50 and went straight to the Park Hyatt Hotel, where the organizers have received players. This Tuesday, Athletic will train at 18:00 (Basque time) at the King Abdullah Stadium, following the press conference that Iñaki Williams and Ernesto Valverde will offer from 17:15.
Athletic leaves for Saudi Arabia without Yuri Berchiche and Aymeric Laporte
The red-white team held their last working session in Lezama this morning, and after arriving in Saudi Arabia, the bilbaine team will be staying at the Hyatt Jeddah Hotel.
Athletic will look for his fourth Supercup in Saudi Arabia without Yuri and Laporte
Wednesday will be the twelfth game of the red-whites in that tournament. In addition, Valverde has a chance to win his third Supercup, a match with coaches Cruyff and Guardiola.
Ernesto Valverde: "I don't know what Iñaki invented."
Last Tuesday, after Iñaki Williams trained in San Mamés, he said to the media, "Playing in Arabia is bullshit." Today, at a press conference, Valverde expressed his opinion on these statements and made it clear that going to Arabia is prestigious and that they must be very careful about the statements they make.
Ernesto Valverde: "The goal in 2026 is to win Osasuna"
Athletic will play this Saturday 's derbi against Osasuna in El Sadar. Valverde has pointed out that he is a strong rival and difficult to beat, but the goal is to recover the tips left on the road.