Ernesto Valverde: “Football is a game of mistakes, and we didn’t get it right”
The Athletic Club manager, speaking at the Al Jawhara Stadium post-match press conference, highlighted Barcelona’s strengths and potential while expressing pride in his team.
Ernesto Valverde, Athletic Club’s head coach, addressed the media in Jeddah following his team’s 0-2 defeat to FC Barcelona. He acknowledged the quality of their opponents while emphasising that his side never gave up. “We tried to keep the match open and alive until the end, although it wasn’t possible,” Valverde explained to reporters, who noted that the Basques had fought hard throughout the match.
The coach commented on the start of both halves, during which his team conceded the goals: “Perhaps we didn’t adjust quickly enough, and so we conceded; but after those goals, the team grew, and it looked like we could score too.”
In fact, Athletic managed to score twice, but both were ruled out for offside. Valverde regretted the disallowed goals, commenting that they “could have put pressure on Barcelona.”
However, the manager did not question the offside decisions against his players. “The referee applies the rules,” he noted, summing things up philosophically and honestly: “Their second goal was narrowly onside, and ours were narrowly offside—small margins makes the difference.”
“In the end, goals always come from mistakes of one kind or another; this is a game of errors. We look to exploit the opposition’s mistakes, and they do the same to us. That’s football—there’s nothing more to say,” he concluded.
❝Hemos perdido el juego y ellos lo han aprovechado, pero el fútbol se trata de eso❞
— RFEF (@rfef) January 8, 2025
🗣 Ernesto Valderde | @AthleticClub #superSupercopa pic.twitter.com/Ay1480bOkz
Valverde also recognised the calibre of their opponents: “We were up against great players who don’t forgive you at key moments. We made mistakes, but what we had in front of us was Barça—a team that rarely loses the ball and generally plays well.” He added: “Sometimes you get it right, and sometimes you don’t—that’s football.”
Having “missed the chance to reach the Spanish Super Cup final,” Valverde turned his focus to the immediate future. “We have a very tough month ahead and want to compete in everything. For now, we need to get our injured and tired players back in good shape,” he explained, referencing their upcoming Copa del Rey Round of 16 clash against Osasuna.
“They’re a difficult opponent who knocked us out in the semi-finals two years ago. We have the advantage of playing at home, but it won’t be easy because, in the past two years, we haven’t managed to beat them in either the Cup or the league,” he recalled.