Oyarzabal: “Unai is a companion and friend”

Mikel
Oyarzabal live days of wine and roses and there are still more. On Tuesday he disputes the semifinals of the Eurocup with Spain against Italy and has options to start for the first time in the tournament, due to Sarabia's injury: “If I see myself in the eleven? Willing to whatever the coach asks of me. If so, delighted, otherwise I will help from the bench. We all want to play, but only 11 or 16 do it ”. the second captain of the Real, one of the heroes of the quarter-finals, sentenced by scoring the decisive penalty.

The other great architect of the pass against Switzerland in the penalty shoot-out was Unai
Simon, the Athletic goalkeeper, who stopped two maximum penalties: “I have known him for a long time. We have played against in the lower categories of Real and Athletic and in the Euskadi team. I have a very good relationship with him, he is a partner and friend. He is trained to defend this goal and he has worked hard for it ”, highlights the Real youth squad. That same goalkeeper got the penalty that decided the final of the Copa del Rey on April 3 at La Cartuja.

Determined when to execute

Before Switzerland, Mikel he limited himself to executing one of his specialties, hitting from 11 meters. In Real it has been almost infallible, although in 2021 he failed three, the one in the Super Cup shootout, in the Europa League against United at Old Trafford and another in the League against Levante: “The road to the ball was long and there he you go around what you are going to do. When I put the ball on the penalty spot and take a run, I already know what I'm going to do. I was confident. Luckily it went well, ”he says.

The Real squad was fifth in the league with his team, he will play the Europa League, he won a title for the club of his loves, the Cup 34 years later, he is the protagonist with the Spanish team, with which he will play the semifinals of the Eurocup and then he will go to the Tokyo Olympics before embarking on another exciting season as txuri urdin: ”In football you don't choose when they come and when they don't and you have to adapt. It is a learning process that does not stop and I am delighted. I am fortunate to live what I am living ”, he says.