Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BILBAO CAN COPA LOAD OF SILVER..
THERE have been so many quirks in the football calendar because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But Athletic Bilbao find themselves in the unique situation of being in two cup finals in the same competition in the space of the fortnight.
Tonight they face rivals Real Sociedad in the rescheduled 2020 Copa del Rey after the game was postponed from last year.
Then Athletic tackle Barcelona in the 2021 version on April 17, giving them two chances to win the trophy for the first time since 1984.
Athletic are overdue some success as they had a golden period in the 80s, winning La Liga twice as well as the Copa del Rey. And this is another big opportunity amid difficult times.
Coach Marcelino Garcia Toral (right) said: “Having to play Real Sociedad one year after it was originally scheduled is a great opportunity and that must be our sole focus now.
“We must consider ourselves very privileged as a team because we have that possibility and we must play 90 minutes as best as we possibly can so I can try to lift the cup.”
This, of course, is also a special club with a unique philosophy as every one of their players was either born or raised in the Basque region, a tradition which has been in place since 1911.
Athletic striker Inaki Williams, 26, was born in Bilbao to Ghanaian parents and, in 2019, signed a nineyear contract which effectively commits the rest of his career to the club.
Williams says that Athletic is much more than a football club and that inner strength between team-mates is what helps them be successful.
Speaking via Zoom, Williams said: “Each match is like a struggle when you play with your colleagues.
“But they’re more friends than anything else because they’re like a family.
“The feeling we have in this club is that everyone is here to support each other. It’s something you are taught at a very young age.”
Watch Athletic Club on Laligatv, available in the UK as part of the Premier Sports pack: premiersports.com/ subscribenow