Athletic Club - Levante UD

Athletic Club has defeated Levante by 2-0, with goals from Serrano in an own goal and Gabilondo from a header in the minute 60 and 76 of play, and will therefore continue fighting in First Division yet another season, as it’s been doing since 1929. A match was played in San Mamés of which we will say little about, more than an analysis, more than the road, what was important was achieving the goal even if it was obtained at the brink of the bell.

A season full of suffering has ended and certainly from the new Board of directors, from the bench and most importantly from the field of play, those in charge of doing so will try to straighten the sporting course, of that there is little doubt. In times of shortage, the normal tendency is to look for a guilty party, but beyond that, our team must recover the competitiveness which it has always so proudly boasted and that will be the immediate objective on the short term; competitiveness, to avoid setbacks and surprises that any high-level competitions provide.

The three teams that have been relegated to Second Division have their own sporting philosophy, each one with its own shades and characteristics. All three, had the world on reserves and worked theirs with courage and certainly with great care, but the competition has put them in another level in view to next season. And avoiding that difficult patch is not a trivial question, especially if the teams have done things a lot worse than was expected.

With our own characteristics, that is to say, with our own sporting philosophy we can do our homework much better, since there is an intermediate road to travel between self-complacency, a glance at our own navel, and an excess of confidence that borders vanity. Because of this, Athletic Club’s work must be patently better, deeper and even more professional than that of the rest.

And even though we have repeated it over and over again, although some may interpret it as a show for the gallery, it goes without saying that our fans have given a spectacular example not only of support, but of maturity and knowledge, of sovereignty after all. Supporters that will surely be able to increase their base both qualitatively and quantitatively with the arrival of the new stadium, which is why support for the team is more than guaranteed and that will make it possible for Athletic Club to grow in other facets.

All those members, supporters’ clubs, followers, and people who have suffered at home, those that didn’t want to watch or hear, those that believe and those that don’t, those that have applauded at the end and those that whistled, those that have sent motivational messages throughout the week or at the end of the match as if it was Christmas, those that adorned balconies and windows with rojiblanco… those that, because of their age, have never been able to celebrate a title and have lived today with similar emotions. Perhaps it may not sound like much to be saved in the last matchday, but for those of us that are proud of Athletic it has the value of an enormous treasure.

And since five, with other matches kicking off with some delay, a very important match was played in San Mamés…and together we have won. The best is yet to come. Up with Athletic!