Athletic Club head coach Ernesto Valverde delivered a stark warning about the razor-thin margins in La Liga as his side prepares to face Espanyol. With only three matches remaining, Valverde noted that 47 points could secure European football while 44 might condemn a team to relegation, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the season.
Speaking ahead of the Espanyol clash, Valverde emphasized the importance of the match: “We look everywhere. There is a terrible equality. With 47 points you can play in Europe and with 44 you can go down. This is a decisive match, and we must be very focused and mentally ready because all teams are in a tight bunch, and anything can happen.”
The coach also provided injury updates, confirming that Nico Williams and Oihan Sancet remain sidelined. Additionally, defender Yuri Berchiche and Aymeric Laporte are doubtful. “Nico and Sancet are not coming. We also have some problems with Yuri and Aymeric, and we’ll see how they are in training. Nobody from Bilbao Athletic will come for this match, but we’ll see later because there are also many players on yellow cards,” Valverde explained.
The press conference also touched on the retirement of Iñigo Lekue, who leaves after 11 seasons in the first team. Valverde paid tribute: “It has been a pleasure to coach him. He has always given his all for the team and the club. He arrived as a winger and had to play in different positions. I am grateful, and the club should be too.”
Valverde addressed Athletic’s poor home form, which has contributed to 17 league defeats this season. “The league tells you exactly where you are and what you have done. We have won many games, but we have lost many and drawn very few. That difference is not normal, but we have to accept it and count what we have done.”
The coach remains wary of Espanyol despite their 18-match winless streak. “They have spirit, play well, and go forward. I like them as a team because they always push and are close to a victory that escapes them by millimeters. Something similar happened to me at Espanyol with Manolo: a first half of 36 points and a second of 12.”
Regarding young winger Nico Serrano, Valverde acknowledged he could have given him more minutes. “He is a player who, when the game is open, gives us things and unbalances. Perhaps I could have given him more because he always turns things around for us.”
Reflecting on the season’s difficulty, Valverde admitted: “This is the hardest season in terms of results since I have been here, and you always have to be ready to face everything.” He also declined to discuss his future until after the final three matches: “I am looking forward to thinking about it, but we still have three very important games, much more than people think.”
The Athletic coach concluded with a call for focus: “We have to go win because it is already seen that we do not know how to draw, and we do not want strange combinations that cost us a lot.” With the season hanging in the balance, Athletic Club must navigate a tricky fixture against a determined Espanyol side desperate to end their drought.
Based on reporting from Marca.