Press conference of Aitor Elizegi

During a press conference of over an hour, Aitor Elizegi has reviewed the Athletic Club’s current situation in response to questions from the media. The president started with a remembrance for all the football fans, of Athletic or not, who have left us during this pandemic and he also sent a message of optimism about what he expects imminently: “We still have 25% of the season to play and we are going to do it with our heads held high.”

Elizegi has also referred to the impossibility of having an audience at San Mamés for the moment: “We have always said that for Athletic it means taking away our heart, the essential beat of what this club is. When are we going to be able to do it? The sooner we can, the better. But I also understand that if there is a member at San Mamés there should also be one at the other stadiums. We also have to send out a message of responsibility, of health and safety.”

Regarding the proposal to return membership fees, the red-and-white president has pointed out the “need we noticed in some members to be able to have the advance payment of those fees, as small as it may seem, before June 30. And then we have made a proposal to the Assembly so that it is the one who decides what steps must take Athletic in such a complicated budget as the one that all the clubs are going to have to face for the next season due to this historical situation.”

Elizegi has also highlighted the “absolute consensus” in the renewal of Gaizka Garitano: “We believe that Gaizka has the perfect profile to continue with the upcoming work“. And he referred to the possibility that the pending Copa final will be held before 2021: “I already said it a long time ago. I wish the first game of normalcy was the Copa final. That would mean that our supporters are healthy, that they can travel safely and that they can celebrate the title with the other fans who stay here. We are defending the only possibility there is to celebrate a title: that all the fans can share what only a few thousand can enjoy in a stadium. There cannot be better news than that after all these months: that 36 years later we can sail the river with all our fans by our side.”