MADRID, 16 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Athletic Club coach, Ernesto Valverde, recognized the difficulty of facing Atlético de Madrid, a “strong team” that also had “success” in both areas, after the defeat (0-1) this Saturday in San Mamés, but he was satisfied with what his team is doing and, above all, because “they never give in”.
“It was a hard-fought match. We had some clear situations in the first half. They were seen to be a strong team, very reliable in duels, we had to be attentive. It was harder for us to get there more than other times,” he said in a wheel of press.
“In the second half the goal came to us in the first play and in the end we had a little chance to take advantage of some centers, they closed us inside. We have tried until the end, we have had chances to equalize and we have not succeeded “, he added.
The Basque coach explained the difference in success between the two teams and drew the positive from the defeat. “They are a Champions team, of that level, they made the game difficult for us. It’s about trying to impose yourself. Their players are accurate and we have defended well, we have not marked our options, the goalkeeper or some player in the line,” he said.
“When you lose you’re never satisfied. There are ways to lose, we haven’t deserved it but it’s a matter of success. We’re not going to regret it. I liked the team because we’ve never lost face in the game. So far all the games have always we’ve been involved in them, the ones we haven’t been able to win. It’s really what we want,” he added.
“I would like to be able to say that we are infallible. Games like today have escaped us, our idea is to continue and never give up. Games like this help us grow, because it is convenient for us to play these games so that we see the value of a loss, a goal against”, he added.
On the other hand, Valverde celebrated the connection with San Mamés and the enthusiasm of the fans with their team. “The connection between the public and the team is important and we cannot let that decline. We hope that despite today’s disappointment people have been satisfied as much as possible, we are going to see if we can get good results because that hooks people,” he finished.