Asier Villalibre He faces a very important season in his career. The Gernika striker had a bad time last year with a major muscle injury, two relapses and a fourth setback that had nothing to do with the previous one. He was only able to play 19 games, 16 of them as starters, with 540 League minutes accumulated in his legs. He was the twentieth lion in this ranking. This has to be the year of his explosion. El Búfalo reviews for Mundo Deportivo his goals from Germany. In addition, he also appreciates the arrival of Valverdethe coach who made him debut in the first team in the 2016-17 season.
They have been in preseason for almost three weeks now. How are they doing?
At the moment it’s going well. We are getting good feelings. In the end, that’s what preseason is for, to pick up the pace, see how we have to play with the new coach and get to know the new kids who come up. Everything adds up.
You didn’t play last Sunday in the Duisburg triangle, but the team made a good impression, especially against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
It is the first game and it is difficult for everything to go well. But to be the first we had a very good attitude and good arrivals. The team looked good and eager, that’s what matters.
You already knew Valverde. He was the coach who made him debut in the first team in the 2016-17 season before leaving for Barça.
Yes, that season I was at Bilbao Athletic. There were injuries and sanctions in the first team and I went up. It is true that he was the coach with whom I debuted.
It’s a good thing for your career.
Yes, you will always remember that.
Five years have passed since then. He went to Barça and has been more than two years without training. Has changed?
I’m getting to know him better now. In that season he was young, he went up to some training sessions during the week and was quieter. All coaches are different. Now we have to change our mentality, it’s another way of playing, but the rhythm remains the same, we have to have a high rhythm. We are learning.
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Is there much difference compared to last season with Marcelino?
Is different. As I have already said, all coaches have their mentality and their way of playing. We have to adapt to them, convince ourselves and believe in it. That’s where we are.
What is the goal of the team?
Right now we don’t set ourselves a long-term goal, our goal is to be well in preseason, to do the best possible preparation to get to the first league game in the best way.
There is talk that it is very important to achieve a continental place after five years without traveling through Europe.
Right now you don’t have to set long-term goals. As I have already said, we are in the third week of preparation, what matters is getting to the first league match in the best conditions to leave the three points in Bilbao against Mallorca.
What does Valverde tell you in this regard, does he talk to you about Europe?
No, now we are training to improve. He’s trying to get us into the way we play, how to press, how to attack… It’s all tactical work. We don’t set goals. The goal is to improve as a group, understand how we want to play and win games.
On a personal level, he had a hard time last season with injuries. How is it?
It’s a new season, right now I feel good, I feel good. I have left all that behind.
Those moments would be hard…
It was a difficult season. In the end, injuries are always difficult, it’s the worst thing that can happen to an athlete, but right now I don’t think about that. The past cannot be changed or recovered, we are in another season and I feel well physically. That’s what matters. I’ve already left it behind. You have to think about the present, I feel good and I want to continue like this.
“Now I am a different footballer (compared to the one who scored many goals in the subsidiary) and I would say that I have improved a lot in many aspects”
Marcelino publicly showed his support for him in those bad times.
He and his coaching staff are highly valued for how they are as professionals, but I value much more how they are as people. They seemed like great people to me, with values that I share and that makes you understand yourself better.
What did the goal you scored against Elche mean to you after having previously had a bad time?
For a striker the goal is very important and after a season like this you get everything you have inside. It is a very big illusion.
What is your personal goal for the 2022-23 campaign?
The goal is to train and do the best possible preseason so that the coach wants to count on me and have as many minutes as possible.
The previous course was the only pure striker in the squad. This year Gorka Guruzeta has arrived. More competition to play.
In the end, competition is always good. It makes us all more attentive, we train better and that makes us all improve. We already know each other. Gorka and I have played together in lower categories. I think he’s a great player. We always say the same thing. We talk about competition but we know that between us, between all the forwards, we understand each other very well. This is something very important.
He commented in Lezama that they are compatible.
Gorka liked to play more between the lines, more as a midfielder. It is true that we have played a lot together, at Basconia and Bilbao Athletic. We have always understood each other very well and above all we have gotten along very well, which is the key to everything.
What Asier Villalibre are we going to see this season?
An Asier Villalibre who logically is going to give it his all in training and in the minutes I have I’m going to try to take advantage of them to give the best of me.
What has changed from Villalibre, who scored many goals for Bilbao Athletic, to the current one?
It is true that the numbers are not the same, but it is also true that I have suffered injuries and have not had as many minutes. Right now I am a different player and I would say that I have improved a lot in many aspects and I want to continue improving.
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Has Valverde told you what he wants from you?
No, we’re still in preseason. It is early, we are looking at general things.
On Sunday he did not play. I imagine he will do it tomorrow against Bochum.
We will see. There are still many games left. On Saturday we have two other 60-minute matches. There will be minutes for everyone to get ready and set the tone.
Would a number of goals be scored?
No, now the important thing is to get to the first game well and do the best possible.
What does it mean for you to be a player much loved by the fans?
For me it is a great pride. I am very grateful to the fans. Feeling like this is the best. That your fans love you so much is the greatest pride a footballer can have.
The naturalness with which you do things is highly appreciated, for example playing soccer with some kids.
I try not to change my life. I like to get on with my life. As I said before, I am a footballer but first I am a person and I want to maintain my circle of friends and my hobbies. I do the things that I like. Me being a normal and ordinary person.