Athletic Bilbao defeated Fenerbahçe 2-0 away in the 6th week match of the UEFA Europa League. Athletic Bilbao Coach Ernesto Valverde made evaluations at the press conference held after the match. Stating that they are happy, Ernesto Valverde said, “Yes, we are very happy. The atmosphere here is really difficult. We played against a strong and quality team. We were better in the 2nd half. The game was balanced in the first half. Luckily we scored a goal. We showed our quality in the second half. “I am extremely happy,” he said.
'INAKI WILLIAMS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PLAYER'
Stating that Inaki Williams has added strength to them, Valverde said, “Inaki Williams is a very important player. It gives us strength. He also contributed to a goal at the weekend. Same way here. “It is very important to win against Fenerbahçe in such a stadium,” he said.
'WE ARE TRYING TO BALANCE THE GAME'
Stating that they are trying to balance the game and not give any positions, Valverde said, “We are trying to do what every team does. We are trying to balance the game, we are trying not to give positions. Therefore, we get good results. “That's the secret of Athletic,” he said.
Regarding Nico Williams leaving the game due to injury, Ernesto Valverde said, “We have to wait until tomorrow. He had a swelling on his foot. “We can talk more clearly by waiting until tomorrow,” he said.
'WE NEED TO WIN AND COLLECT ALL THE POINTS'
The experienced coach continued his words as follows:
“We need to look at it step by step. We have 16 points. There is a possibility of getting into the top 8, but we may not. It's a new format. It is not clear who will come first. “We need to win and collect all the points.”
'ALL TEAMS WANT TO BE IN SAN MAMES'
Stating that all teams in the UEFA Europa League want to be in the final at the San Mames Stadium, Ernesto Valverde said, “The important thing for me is to win. That's why it's more important that we score the first goal. We played strong matches like Ludogorets, Roma and Fenerbahçe. All the teams want to be in San Mames. Considering the finale already, it could be worse. “We aim to do our best,” he said.
Stating that they have a game style, but it can vary depending on the opponent, Valverde said, “We have a game style. This may change against the opponent. Fenerbahçe does the same. “We tried to put pressure on Fenerbahçe, but they responded to this,” he said.
'I THINK WE PLAYED WELL IN THE SECOND HALF'
Stating that Fenerbahçe wanted to keep the ball when there were 10 players left, the experienced coach said, “I think we played well in the second half. When the opponent was down to 10 players, we held the ball and asked the opponent to run. “If Fenerbahçe had scored a goal, the match could have gone to a different place due to the influence of the fans,” he said.
'I'M THINKING ABOUT THE BEŞİKTAŞ MATCH BEFORE THE FINAL'
Stating that he was thinking about the Beşiktaş match before the UEFA Europa League final, Valverde said, “If we are in the final, other teams do not matter. I'm thinking about the Beşiktaş match we will play before the final. Beşiktaş's field will be as strong as the atmosphere here. “It will be very good for us if we win,” he said.
