Athletic and Real will face each other on Sunday in Lezama within the Iberdrola League. A derby that catches the San Sebastian team coming out of confinement after several positives for coronavirus in their squad. The txuri urdin team, nevertheless, comes to this match in fourth position in the table with 17 points more than the rojiblancas, ninth in the standings.
Iraia Iturregi spoke in Lezama about this derby and about the new interruption that his team has suffered in the form of a league break: “It is clear that we were in a good dynamic and in that sense you don't want stops. We want to compete again and we have to go back to a derby. A special match because it will also be my first derby as a coach ”.
The rojiblanca technique awaits a disputed derby. “La Real is having an excellent season, not only in terms of results, which are in the options of entering the Champions League, but also in terms of sensations as a team. With a good game, dominating different registers and with a winning mentality. We arrived in a good dynamic ”.
Iraia considers that this clash against Real can serve Athletic to gauge its current competitive state, once it has risen from the bottom of the qualifying table: “When you go you face rivals who fight for the Champions League, it helps you to see if your team is at the level of being able to compete with them ”.
The red-and-white coach stands out from La Real that “has a very good squad, not just a good eleven but a good wardrobe. When Natalia has rotated; the team has responded very well. The signings have given them a plus. I would highlight the block and the mentality of the team ”.
The importance of the Real's players having been confined is relative, according to Iraia: “We are several teams that have had to live that uncertainty of the coronavirus. In our case they confined more than half of the team, on the return we trained for just three days, we played against Espanyol, we won 3-0 and after three days we had to play again. I do not know to what extent that can harm the Real or not.
The rojiblanca technique used Lucia as an example to influence this reflection. “Lucia has been confined for ten days. Last Friday he started training and this week I have seen him in very good condition, I have seen him at the top”. Ane Azkona, with a muscle injury, is ruled out for the derby and Nekane, according to Iraia, arrives very fair.