Unai Simón: "We're convinced we can do great things"

Unai Simón is confident Athletic Club are ready for the upcoming season, saying there's optimism in the squad that the Lions can achieve "great things" in 2025/26.

First up, the Zurigorri host Sevilla FC at San Mames on Sunday evening (19:30 CEST). Simón reiterated the importance of starting well and getting "three points no matter what".

"We're calm and we're convinced that we can do great things," the shotstopper told the press at Lezama on Wednesday morning.

"We're heading into the campaign with great enthusiasm. We must be ambitious and we can't stop fighting for a single minute. I'm confident we'll carry on along the same lines as last season.

"It's about showing up against whichever opponent we're facing, proving we're the better team and not losing any games at home, all starting this Sunday."

It's an exciting year for Ernesto Valverde's Lions. Thanks to last season's displays, Athletic Club have qualified for the Champions League and Simón has said the players are "eager to show they can perform at the highest level".

As for objectives, the keeper said they are determined to "enjoy the season" and that they'll "fight to get a European spot and finish as high up the league as possible".
 

👊 "𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀"

🎙️ Unai Simón is feeling optimistic about the upcoming campaign.

"We want to enjoy the season and show we can perform at the highest level."#AthleticSevilla #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/FVR5PS00Eh

— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) August 13, 2025

When asked about his career at Athletic so far, Simón admitted to feeling "very lucky" to play for the club. Along with Nico Williams, who recently signed a new long-term contract, Unai has demonstrated that a player can be among the best in the world whilst being a Lion.

He added: The life I have now is because I'm here. I'm very fortunate to be able to enjoy everything so much in that sense. With family, partner and friends nearby, everything is much better.

"The fact Nico has prioritised Athletic speaks volumes about the club, the good work done by the people involved and our fans. His decision will have a huge impact on our youth academy, as it shows that you can be a top player here."

The Zurigorri shotstopper also spoke about the role Athleticzales, and fans in general, play in the world of football.

He said: "Players are the visible face on the pitch. But without fans, football would not exist. Football has to belong to them. Anything else would be disrespectful."