O Athletic Bilbao will face Mallorca, this Saturday, in Seville, at 5pm (Brasília time), in the final of the Copa del Rey, a tournament in which they dominated for a long time, but which they have not won since 1984.
For four decades, the ‘Leones’, as the Bilbao team is called, have been unable to lift this cup, which they have already won 23 times, only surpassed by Barcelona (31 titles). Since lifting the last trophy in 1984, precisely against Barça, when none of the players in their current squad were born, Athletic have reached six finals and failed to win any of them.
📸 The photo.
We’re all here. #UniqueIntheWorld 🏆 #AthleticRCDMallorca pic.twitter.com/FmllHYoeLt
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) April 5, 2024
In their new attempt, the team shows confidence that this time the cup will not slip away. “I see the team prepared. We have a good dynamic, we hope we can take this to the field tomorrow and that this positive dynamic will help us take it forward”, said Athletic captain, Iker Muniain, this Friday in a press conference.
The ‘Leones’ will try to forget, especially on Saturday, on the lawn of the La Cartuja stadium, in Seville, the painful double defeat suffered in 2021. After being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Copa del Rey final it was only played on April 3 of the following year with Athletic losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad in a vibrant Basque derby. And, fifteen days later, the ‘Leones’ were defeated again, this time 4-0 by Barça in the 2021 Copa del Rey final.
Crowd invasion
Two defeats suffered behind closed doors due to the pandemic that coach Ernesto Valverde’s team will now try to leave behind supported by a fan base that traveled en masse to Seville to support their team.
“People have to understand what a final means for our people and the involvement that our people have with the club,” said Valverde this Friday.
And this continues… AUPA ZUEK!
🙏 Save your strength for tomorrow! ✊#UniqueInTheWorld 🏆 #AthleticRCDMallorca pic.twitter.com/Vc74Uhitby
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) April 5, 2024
The estimate is that more than 70 thousand Athletic Bilbao fans will invade Seville, most of them without tickets, who will have to content themselves with watching the game on a big screen in the ‘fan zone’.
“It’s great news that things have changed for the better. The last few finals were played behind closed doors due to Covid and we weren’t able to enjoy an atmosphere as expected in the stands,” said Muniain.
Athletic Bilbao will enter the field as favorites, but will have to pay close attention against a Mallorca side excited about the fourth Copa del Rey final in their history.
Mallorca wants to surprise
The team led by coach Javier ‘Vasco’ Aguirre is, in turn, looking for the second trophy in its history after the 2003 edition, won against Recreativo de Huelva.
Mallorca “is very well, very excited because we are in a Copa del Rey final without being on our program” at the start of the season, Aguirre said this Friday.
The Mallorcan team provided surprise after surprise in this tournament until reaching the final. Against all expectations, the team eliminated Girona, the revelation of the season in the Spanish League, in the quarter-finals, and Real Sociedad on penalties, in the semi-finals.
Mallorca have not beaten the San Sebastián team for twelve years and now hope to complete the feat against another great Basque representative in a final in which they leave all the pressure to their opponents.
Last rehearsal.
🖤❤️ pic.twitter.com/5vzVCQeGUb
— Real Mallorca (@RCD_Mallorca) April 5, 2024
“Athletic are the favourites. Everyone knows that. They have more experience in this match, but they haven’t won in 40 years and they are favourites. But they have a lot of pressure on them,” Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi told Cadena radio To be.
“We can take advantage of that and if we start the game well we can have chances,” added Mallorca’s Kosovar striker, whose power, together with that of his teammate Cyle Larin, could be crucial to overcoming one of the strongest on the counterattack. defenses of the Spanish championship.
PROBABLE SCALATIONS:
Athletic Bilbao
Accredited; De Marcos, Vivian, Paredes and Yuri; Prados and Galarreta; Iñaki Williams, Sancet and Nico Williams; the cross
Technician: Ernesto Valverde.
Mallorca
Greif – Gío González, Valjent, Raíllo, Copete, Jaume Costa – Samu Costa, Sergi Darder, Manu Morlanes, Dani Rodríguez – Muriqi.
Technician: Javier Aguirre.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
