Berenguer: “We want to head into the first match at 200%”
Berenguer: “We want to head into the first match at 200%”
Berenguer believes the team is “in good shape” at the halfway point of the pre-season: “We’ve picked up Marcelino’s ideas and the results are clear.”
Alex Berenguer reiterated that the entire Athletic squad is determined to get off to good start when LaLiga Santander 2021-22 kicks off.
The Lions have had a successful pre-season so far, winning two of their three matches at the training camp in Switzerland, defeating Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv 1-0 and picking up a 0-2 victory against Borussia Dortmund.
There are three pre-season fixtures left, with the Rojiblancos still to face FC Union Berlin (July 31, 15:30 CEST), Southampton FC (August 7, 16:00 CEST) and Liverpool FC (August 8, 17:00 CEST).
“We want to go into the first match at 200 percent and bring home the three points,” the winger said at a press conference on Thursday morning. “Our goal is to get into Europe, to be in the top part of the table.”
Berenguer also highlighted the “intensity” of this pre-season as the Lions build-up to Saturday’s clash with FC Union Berlin, saying: “It’s all very intense, we do a lot of training with the ball and on fitness. The team is training well, we’re all in the same boat.
“We’ve picked up his [Marcelino’s] ideas and we’re seeing the results of that work. We’ve been working all pre-season to perform as well as possible in LaLiga Santander.”
Last season’s top goalscorer also spoke about the talent of the youngsters who are currently doing pre-season with the first-team.
He said: “The lads are working very well, they are like new signings. It’s a great advantage for Athletic to have players coming up through the youth academy. The more quality players we have, the better it is for the team.”
The forward mentioned fans returning to San Mamés: “After such a long time with empty stadiums, we’re really looking forward to seeing them come and watch us.
“Since I arrived, there have been no fans at San Mames, and I can’t wait to see the stadium full. The fans are going to help us get a lot of points.”
Athletic will take on FC Union Berlin at the Berlin-based side’s An Der Alten Försterei stadium this Saturday, and the match will be streamed live from 15:30 CEST on our official YouTube channel (only available for those watching from Spain).