Cruel farewell to Athletic power

What is soccer. How from the same stage you can leave in a matter of time with such a different feeling. The faces late yesterday from the professionals of the Athletic surely they did not look anything like those of the already distant visit to this same field of last March 5. From euphoria he copera to the embarrassing garter belt. From what pointed to a great Basque football party with a title at stake, somewhat postponed due to the coronavirus, to a harsh and harsh reality in which even OsasunaHaving said this with all the respect in the world, it beats you on the chart.

Pomegranate and Athletic faces were seen in the New Los Cármenes after the return of the semifinal of Cup which meant the elimination of the Nasrid team with the goal at the last minute of Yuri who gave the classification to the lions. That afternoon there was no room for a pin in the Andalusian stadium. The arrival of the team of Diego Martinez The venue was truly spectacular then.

The bus with the local players took more than a quarter of an hour to travel the last 200 meters of access to the facilities. Yesterday, curiously, just a dozen fans received theirs with the banners “Eternal in history” and “Thank you for making us dream.” The meeting, curiously, continued to have historical overtones for the Andalusians, since there was the possibility, depending on other results besides their own, to qualify for Europe.

An option that was ruled out for the lions late on Thursday in San Mamés. Defeat against Leganes ended the options, even mathematically speaking, that the Athletic obtain the continental passport for the coming campaign. A whole torpedo cucumber in the waterline of the ship commanded by Garitano. Another night for disappointment in Bilbao.

In Los Cármenes, chance or no chance, he played Saint Joseph his last minutes as a lion. Navarre, who will not continue next season in the Athletic, was a starter before the Pomegranate that night, on the 5th of March, 2020. It had been true, by the way, in the first leg. Since the emergence of the coronavirus, his role as a lion has been reduced to training and going to the stands.

The same as that of Beñat. The last appearance of the midfielder with the Bilbao team dates back to February 9 in Anoeta, derby before the Real in which Saint Joseph, what a coincidence, it was a starter. From then until yesterday the only sure thing about this fine medium is that its future is far from Lezama.

It's hard to believe that these two veteran lions have no place in the current gear Athletic. More seen than seen yesterday or a few days ago in front of the Leganes in San Mamés. What to take out Ibai in the 77th minute with 3-0 against it was also somewhat ugly, especially since the santutxutarra is another player who has counted almost nothing for Garitano. Another one, it would be necessary to say to the lack of the consequent relief.