Villalibre: “This final is very special, we have to enjoy it”

Athletic Club forward Asier Villalibre insisted the Lions will not succumb to the pressure of the moment ahead of Saturday’s all-Basque Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad. The striker said his teammates are working hard to ensure they can “make the most” of this historic final.

Athletic take on Real Sociedad this Saturday at La Cartuja (21:30 CET). It will be the first time in history the Basque clubs have faced each other in a Copa final.

“At the moment, you don’t leave the house very often and you don’t think about the final,” Villalibre said at his press conference in Lezama. “We know we can’t put too much press on ourselves and we’re staying calm.

“This is a very special final. You can sense there’s a great atmosphere. When you go outside, you see everything that’s going on. All the balconies… all the people encouraging you…

“Playing in a final is not something that happens very often. We’re enormously lucky, we have to make the most of the moment and enjoy it.” 

The Lions returned to training on Sunday after two days off, and the Buffalo believes the squad has benefitted from the rest.

“Physically, the team is doing well,” he said. “After a couple of days leave, we’ve come back with our minds cleared.”

The final on Saturday has been postponed for the best part of a year due to the pandemic and the fact both sides wanted to wait as long as possible to give fans a chance to attend.

“The senior players are treating it normally so that we do too,” Villalibre said about the long wait. “In a way, it’s just another match we have to win.

“Their experience helps us all to understand how we should all be approaching it.”

Asked about what will be key to winning to the final in Seville, Asier said it is crucial Athletic can “play their own game”.

He said: “Both teams are going to be faithful to their own style.

“Real are a very strong team that play very well and create a lot of danger in attack.

“Whilst respecting our opponents, we’re going to go all out for the game.

“The key is us as a team. We have to play with intensity and go for the game.”