Athletic has already started the preseason. The rojiblancos have been doing their first training session since half past six in the afternoon after passing the medical tests throughout Monday, Tuesday and today in the morning. Marcelino has appeared before the media at the Lezama facilities for the first time in the 2021-22 academic year. And he has done it in person, unlike last season, when the coach's appearances were made online. Mundo Deportivo has been there.
The Asturian has reviewed the objectives for the campaign that will begin on August 16 with a visit to Elche at the Martínez Valero. “I am very happy to start this new season, with great enthusiasm and with five weeks ahead of me to work very hard. You have to make the most of the competition. You have to work hard, taking concepts that we are capable of developing. We started this season in the best possible way, with enthusiasm and the ambition to maintain it throughout the season ”, the coach began by saying.
We have good potential and we must optimize the performance of each player to fight for it
The one from Villaviciosa is not a friend of setting long-term goals, he prefers the ‘match by match’ of Simeone, but he has made one thing clear. We must fight for Europe. “I am short-term in terms of objectives, the most immediate objective is work and the next one to win the first game and then the next, but we must have the ambition to fight for Europe. We have good potential and we must optimize the performance of each player to fight for it. Ambition has to be present every day. It is difficult to achieve it because there are very consolidated teams in the League. Immediately, we must start each day with enthusiasm and the demands that all professionals have to put on ourselves ”, he added.
This course there is a new motivation. The public will return to San Mamés, although the capacity is not known. Possibly it will increase over the months. “We have a new incentive. On August 22 there may be people in San Mamés. This is a very big illusion. We want to live with all those people, live good times and surely also suffer during the games. Athletic with its people is a rockier team. You have to achieve results, the important thing is the structure and the idea of the game and then there are nuances that allow the team to improve ”, he said.
The coach currently has 33 footballers, a very remote number for the 20 or 21 field players he wants, as he announced before going on vacation. The coach already counted on it: “We expected there would be a lot of people. In recent seasons it has happened that there has been overcrowding. As the preseason progresses, exchanges are made. For us the important thing is to convey the true situation to the players. Being consistent, we continue with that same pattern. There are footballers who know that they are not going to count. The best thing for everyone is to find an accommodation that satisfies all parties ”.
I can firmly state that the decisions are the same as in May
“I can say emphatically that the decisions are the same as in May. Rafa (for Alkorta) and I spoke with each one of them, except for two or three that I spoke to on the phone with them. We pass on the decision made by the club. It is a consensual decision with the club ”, he explained.
Marcelino He has also recognized that not playing games during the week until December when the Cup arrives can benefit them. “Last season we wondered if playing two finals, the Super Cup and entering Europe gave us everything. At that time we did not care so much. Now there are other teams that do play three games a week, for us it is a possible advantage to only play two until December. And then there are breaks. All of this is going to be good for us, we will see if we are able to take advantage of it ”, he stated.