Valverde: "A defeat we have to learn from"

Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde spoke after the 2-1 defeat to Girona FC at Montilivi in a lively match. The Catalan side's decisive goal came from a penalty in stoppage time and before that the Zurigorri had missed three spot-kicks:

"We missed three penalties and apart from that we had a lot of chances to win.

"In the first half we were very good, we could have taken the lead but we still went in level at half-time. We should have gone in with a lead.

"In the second half we tried to attack them again.

"It's true that after the penalties went out of the game a little bit, and they reactivated and started to press us.

"In the end we stabilised again, but then came the penalty against us.

"As for ours, I don't know what to say. It's true that there were three different kickers. At half-time I told Iñaki that if there was another penalty he was going to take it and then Ander took it.

"We have just won a final on penalties. Maybe we were having a bad day today. That's the way these things are."

Despite the defeat, the coach wanted to draw some positive conclusions:

"We played to win. Then you have to see that in a match there are many moments in which you have to be competitive and know how to play them.

"The important thing is to see the team's attitude when it comes to playing because in football everything is a bit diffuse.

"Everyone wants to go into the break with a good feeling.

"We, in any case, have a bad feeling about the result because our game was good considering that there were moments when we were under pressure. Our goalkeeper was very good and so was theirs.

"The team competes, we're doing well.

"It's a defeat from which we have to learn, at least how to take penalties.

"We congratulate them on their success and we'll keep going forward."