Reactions to the draw

Team captain Carlos Gurpegi has indicated that ‘First of all I’d like to point out that what has brought us to the Champions, first a play-off and now to the groups phase, is having had a good outcome in the Liga. It’s logical that we value the draw, but what’s important now is defeating Levante this coming Saturday. As far as the teams, I am not going to discover Oporto; it’s a classic of the Champions that will allow thousands of fans to travel to support us. On the contrary, I dislike the long displacements to Ukraine and Belarus, but that’s what being in this competition incurs’.

Aritz Aduriz, on the other hand, has declared that ‘Oporto is a better-know team, with players and coach that know our Liga quite well, just as we know them; it’s going to be a competitive duel. Before Shakhtar Donetsk and Bate Borisov, what are worse are the long trips we will have to make. In any case, in spite of the difficulty, I see options of advancing and being able to enter the Round of 16. Without knowing the calendar that awaits us, I would like to recall what already do know, that on Saturday we have Liga and that our goal is to attain our first victory’.