Valverde: “Until the penalty, it was an even match”
Valverde: “Until the penalty, it was an even match”
The Athletic boss criticised the referee's decision to send off Yeray and give a penalty for Real Sociedad's third goal
Ernesto Valverde was adamant the dubious penalty given against Yeray Alvarez, and his subsequent sending off, completely changed the course of what was an even match until that point.
With the score at 2-1, and Athletic looking dangerous, the referee gave the centre-back a straight red for a light push on Kubo Take in the box.
"For me it's neither a penalty nor a sending off," Valverde said at his post-match press conference.
"It's a very harsh penalty. It makes me think of all the situations at the beginning of the season and when we were told there would be no soft penalties. It looks like there still are."
Athletic had competed well against Real Sociedad in what the gaffer described as "an even game". He continued: "Both teams were getting into the final third and creating danger. The penalty really threw us off."
Athletic Club face RCD Espanyol at San Mamés in the last 16 of the Copa on Wednesday. Valverde reiterating that his charges must put the derby disappointment behind them as quickly as possible.
He said: "What we have to do is keep going. Wednesday is a one-off game where one team will go out and we don't want it to be us".