All leones, all the time! Spain-Venezuela preview, Olympic results, and more!
Our leones are in high demand these days! With four Athletic players on Spain’s senior national team, four on the Olympic squad, and one with Venezuela’s national team, there has been a ton of hype around the leones, and as a result, lots of things written about them! Some of the highlights:
1. The preliminary Olympic squad played a friendly against Egypt last night, winning 3-1. Óscar de Marcos and Ander Herrera started, with Ander playing all 90 minutes and Óscar being subbed at the half. Mikel San José was subbed on at the beginning of the second half, and Ander Iturraspe got to make his debut with the national team when he was subbed on in the 59th minute. According to the report from AS, our midfielders were especially crucial to keeping the Egyptians from scoring a second time, and there’s been lots of praise for the connections between them.
2. Mundo Deportivo published an interview with Javi Martínez, about the Copa, national team duty, and his prospects for the future.
Javi Martínez: "I’m not worth 40 million"
The Athletic centerback, wanted by FC Barcelona, doesn’t think there’s “anyone who’d want to pay so much for me!”
Javi Martínez (Ayegui, Navarra, September 2, 1988) is one of the most popular Spanish football stars, shining with his own light as part of Bielsa’s Athletic. Logically, his great season has not gone unnoticed by FC Barcelona, who have their eye on him, for his quality and his versatility, as he can play in the midfield or at centerback. His high buyout clause, 40 million euros, makes signing him difficult, but the possible sale of Keita to Milan could ease Javi Martínez’s arrival at Barça.
What a great season you’re having, and Athletic, too...
Yes, both of us are doing well. I’m in harmony with the rest of the team, which is in a very good moment and a good situation in all three competitions. To get to March being alive on three different fronts is something that we should be proud of. We’re having a good season.
At the moment, the one thing you’re sure of is that you’ll play in the final of the Copa del Rey. By the way, with all of this fuss about where the final will be played, where would you guys like to play it?
We would prefer the largest possible stadium because it saddens us that many fans wouldn’t be able to attend such a wonderful event. It seems that playing in the Bernabéu isn’t possible for whatever reason, and then next biggest I think are the Calderón and Mestalla. Whichever one will hold the most people..
A final that will be played against Barcelona. What a great match, right?
Yes, but it’s also bad luck that the two times we’ve reached the Copa final we’ve faced the best team in history. But, well, that’s how it is, and if they’re there it’s because they deservee it, but it’s true that this year we are more confident about achieving victory than we were two years ago. I won’t say that two years ago we lacked confidence, but now there’s a better team, we’re better and a bit closer to them.
Speaking of Barça, you’re in their future plans. Do you have anything to say about that?
I won’t say anything now, things like that always come out, the world of football is like that. Although it’s really nice that they talk about you in the papers. The fact that there are teams that want you, it makes you feel valuable and that’s related to what you’re doing [on the pitch] and it means that you’re doing things well. I’m very happy that they’re talking about me, but right now I’m focused on what’s on my plate, which is a lot, so I’m trying not to pay attention to that stuff.
And on the national team, with eight players from Barcelona, have they said anything about that?
(Laughter) No, no, we don’t talk about that because ultimately, if they actually signed all of the players they say they’ll sign, ¡ufff! Not long ago they were talking about Muniain’s future, then they were talking about Bielsa... they talk a lot, but teams would have fifty players!
Well, imagine that this summer, Barça is trying to sign you, but they discover that your buyout clause is very expensive, 40 million euros, do you think that could derail the operation?
I don’t believe there’s anyone who wants to pay that much money for me. I think that’s too much money for me. (Laughter.) I don’t think I’m worth that much, I don’t think I’m worth 40 million.
Returning to reality, one of the aspects that the Barcelona coaches most like about you is your versatility. Where are you more comfortable, in the midfield or as a centerback?
Look, in the back I’ve been a little bit more lost because of the position, because it was very new to me, it was a situation I’d never played in, I’d played more forward before, but never further back. It was a little difficult for me because, as I said, I was a little bit lost because I’d never played there and that means that you’re not used to it, but little by little you adapt thanks to the fact that you’ve been playing matches and working in training sessions. Now I’m very comfortable, but if one day the míster, or whever, decides to put me forward, I’ll be very happy there, too.
Speaking of the míster, has Bielsa really had so much influence on this Athletic?
Of course he’s had a lot of influence. To have a coach like him is a privilege for us, we have a coach who is among the best in the world. We’re trying to take advantage of that. From the beginning, he’s taught us a lot. He’s really a crack [superstar].
Before, you said that this year Athletic will go to the Copa final with more confidence. Is it Bielsa who’s giving you that confidence?
Yes, he gives us confidence when it comes to playing the ball, moving the ball from behind, trying to always keep possession of the ball. That’s something that we’ve really noticed because what he wants, above all, is to have possession of the ball.
What’s undeniable is that from the moment Bielsa was on the bench, Athletic was in fashion. At the moment, only Barcelona has more players on the senior and Olympic national teams. The blaugranas have 11, and Athletic has 8.
That’s a sign that things are being done well. We players are doing things well and hopefully we can take part in the Olympics as well as the Eurocopa.
It seems that you have a very high chance of participating in both of those competitions.
I don’t know, I don’t know if I’ll be at the Eurocopa, or the Olympics, or both. For me, to play in two such huge competitions, as important as these, is a dream, and hopefully I can take part in them both.
And what can you tell me about meeting Manchester United in the Europa League?
It’s a reward and a dream for us to be able to play at Old Trafford against Manchester United, as it is for the fans who won’t be able to fit in Old Trafford. That makes us sad because Athletic has played - and will play - very few times at Old Trafford and it’s a shame that not everyone can go.
By the way, what do you think of all the things they’ve been saying about the center-forwards of the national team?
I don’t think that there’s any national team that has forwards like ours. The one bit of bad luck is that el Guaje [David Villa], who is our biggest threat in front of the goal, is injured, but I’m sure that he will recover and he’ll be with us.
3. Muniain: "Casillas told me that he loves having a namesake on the national team”
(Original article here.)
Iker Muniain is capturing all the attention at the Spanish national team call-up before the match against Venezuela. The Athletic player has been, along with Roberto Soldado and Santi Cazorla, responsible for speaking to the press this Tuesday to offer his impressions and to once again state that he feels “happy” to have been called up by Vicente del Bosque, and excited about the possibility of having no vacation time this summer due to playing in the Eurocopa and the Olympic Games. “As long as the coach wants to count on me, the opportunity to play in both competitions is great. They’re two wonderful competitons,” Muniain stated.
The player from Txantrea has been asked if he feels “more shy” during his debut with senior side. “In the beginning it’s normal, it happens to everyone. It’s difficult to gain confidence but my teammates have received me very warmly from the very first and they have integrated me into the group. I only have words of thanks for them,” the rojiblanco player explained, before confessing that on his first meeting with Captain Casillas, the Madrid goalkeeper assured him that he was “very happy to have a tocayo (namesake, someone with the same name) on the team.”
(As an aside, Iker was also asked if they had played any pranks or hazed him yet (novatadas), and he said that they wouldn’t dare try. Perhaps they recall his Twitter-pranking skills and don’t want to awaken the more mischevious parts of his nature?)
4. Amorebieta and Fernando Llorente at Cadena Ser
Everyone’s favorite Fernandos spoke to Cadena Ser last night, and apart from standard football talk, there was some great banter and adorable anecdotes. (Not entirely unexpected, of course!)
(A note: some of this interview was already covered by the Con La Roja Venezuela preview post, so I’m just going to provide translations of the more Athletic-specific material that Una Madridista didn’t cover. She got all of the truly interesting bits of this Cope interview with Javi & Amore, too.)
In addition to the interviewers joking with Amore that he should just sneak into the Spain lineup tomorrow and plead youthful error, there was some talk about Amore’s relationship with Iker Muniain: when he first joined the first team, Amore “adopted” him, and they were roommates during call-ups. When Llorente joins the conversation, he calls Amore “a character”, and they engage in a little bit of trash-talk, after clarifying that they’ve been good friends since they were little kids in the Athletic cantera. Amore says warningly that he intends to “complicate [the] lives” of his club teammates, and he jokes that “tomorrow I’m going to have my studs sharp!” (“Mañana estoy con los tacos afilados!”) And Fer says, laughingly, that he told Amore to take it easy (tranquilito today, since they have a derby (against La Real) on Sunday.
The interviewer also asks Amore why they call him “Meji”, and this causes lots of laughter from both Fernandos. Amore says to “ask the one on the other end of the line,” while Fer says, “you should ask him, he knows the story better than me!”
So Amore explains: “These cabrones (jerks), when we were little, they used to make fun of me... because I wore these boots, they were fisherman’s boots, and these cabrones, they called me mejillones (mussels).”
5. Llorente, Amorebieta, and Javi Martínez: Friends and Rivals
Fernando Llorente and Javi Martínez will face off this Wednesday at La Rosaleda, probably as starters, with their teammate Fernando Amorebieta. For one day, these three teammates - two whom could be added Iker Muniain and Andoni Iraola - will represent different sides in the friendly match between Venezuela and Spain.
This has given rise to the possibility that, for the first time in 56 years, five Athletic players could coincide on a playing field, if Vicente del Bosque and César Farías decide to play them. The most doubtful is the Venezuela player. Amorebieta is suffering from a blow to his left instep, and although he will probably play, it won’t be decided until the last minute. (Source.
6. Amorebieta: "Spain is the strongest and that could be their weakness”
Narrator: The Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta, chats with LigaBBVA about the upcoming match between Spain and Venezuela, a special encounter for the Venezuelan international, who could face off against two of his Athletic teammates, Fernando Llorente and Javi Martínez.
Amore: It’s something special, no? Because I’ve never played against them. I’ve been here at Lezama with Llorente since we were ten years old, and I’ve never been able to play against him, and I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.
Narrator: Amorebieta thinks that La Roja’s strongest point can also be their weakness...
Amore: It’s a very strong national team, who play very well, who are showing that they are the best team, no? But that is also a fault, that they believe that they’re superior to their rival, and their rival will always try their hardest to go after them, because they don’t have anything to lose.
Narrator: The centerback believes that the Venezuelan side has a great opportunity...
Amore: The team have demonstrated that they are capable of beating anyone, in fact, such big teams as Argentina... and I think by doing good defensive work and making the match uncomfortable for them, and with a bit of luck, we can win.
Narrator: And he reveals that he will come up against one of the players who he most admires.
Amore: When I was little, I always paid attention to the forwards. I liked Romario a lot, but now, for example, I look up to Puyol, because of how he demands so much of himself in every match, how intensely he lives it, whether it’s a friendly, regardless of the lineup, he always gives 100%.
(Side note: he needs to practice with the camera, no? Ah well. He’s adorable anyway.)
Whew! That’s everything for now, I think. Spain and Venezuela face off in just about two hours, so there will be lots more to talk about afterwards, too!
1. The preliminary Olympic squad played a friendly against Egypt last night, winning 3-1. Óscar de Marcos and Ander Herrera started, with Ander playing all 90 minutes and Óscar being subbed at the half. Mikel San José was subbed on at the beginning of the second half, and Ander Iturraspe got to make his debut with the national team when he was subbed on in the 59th minute. According to the report from AS, our midfielders were especially crucial to keeping the Egyptians from scoring a second time, and there’s been lots of praise for the connections between them.
2. Mundo Deportivo published an interview with Javi Martínez, about the Copa, national team duty, and his prospects for the future.
Javi Martínez: "I’m not worth 40 million"
The Athletic centerback, wanted by FC Barcelona, doesn’t think there’s “anyone who’d want to pay so much for me!”
Javi Martínez (Ayegui, Navarra, September 2, 1988) is one of the most popular Spanish football stars, shining with his own light as part of Bielsa’s Athletic. Logically, his great season has not gone unnoticed by FC Barcelona, who have their eye on him, for his quality and his versatility, as he can play in the midfield or at centerback. His high buyout clause, 40 million euros, makes signing him difficult, but the possible sale of Keita to Milan could ease Javi Martínez’s arrival at Barça.
What a great season you’re having, and Athletic, too...
Yes, both of us are doing well. I’m in harmony with the rest of the team, which is in a very good moment and a good situation in all three competitions. To get to March being alive on three different fronts is something that we should be proud of. We’re having a good season.
At the moment, the one thing you’re sure of is that you’ll play in the final of the Copa del Rey. By the way, with all of this fuss about where the final will be played, where would you guys like to play it?
We would prefer the largest possible stadium because it saddens us that many fans wouldn’t be able to attend such a wonderful event. It seems that playing in the Bernabéu isn’t possible for whatever reason, and then next biggest I think are the Calderón and Mestalla. Whichever one will hold the most people..
A final that will be played against Barcelona. What a great match, right?
Yes, but it’s also bad luck that the two times we’ve reached the Copa final we’ve faced the best team in history. But, well, that’s how it is, and if they’re there it’s because they deservee it, but it’s true that this year we are more confident about achieving victory than we were two years ago. I won’t say that two years ago we lacked confidence, but now there’s a better team, we’re better and a bit closer to them.
Speaking of Barça, you’re in their future plans. Do you have anything to say about that?
I won’t say anything now, things like that always come out, the world of football is like that. Although it’s really nice that they talk about you in the papers. The fact that there are teams that want you, it makes you feel valuable and that’s related to what you’re doing [on the pitch] and it means that you’re doing things well. I’m very happy that they’re talking about me, but right now I’m focused on what’s on my plate, which is a lot, so I’m trying not to pay attention to that stuff.
And on the national team, with eight players from Barcelona, have they said anything about that?
(Laughter) No, no, we don’t talk about that because ultimately, if they actually signed all of the players they say they’ll sign, ¡ufff! Not long ago they were talking about Muniain’s future, then they were talking about Bielsa... they talk a lot, but teams would have fifty players!
Well, imagine that this summer, Barça is trying to sign you, but they discover that your buyout clause is very expensive, 40 million euros, do you think that could derail the operation?
I don’t believe there’s anyone who wants to pay that much money for me. I think that’s too much money for me. (Laughter.) I don’t think I’m worth that much, I don’t think I’m worth 40 million.
Returning to reality, one of the aspects that the Barcelona coaches most like about you is your versatility. Where are you more comfortable, in the midfield or as a centerback?
Look, in the back I’ve been a little bit more lost because of the position, because it was very new to me, it was a situation I’d never played in, I’d played more forward before, but never further back. It was a little difficult for me because, as I said, I was a little bit lost because I’d never played there and that means that you’re not used to it, but little by little you adapt thanks to the fact that you’ve been playing matches and working in training sessions. Now I’m very comfortable, but if one day the míster, or whever, decides to put me forward, I’ll be very happy there, too.
Speaking of the míster, has Bielsa really had so much influence on this Athletic?
Of course he’s had a lot of influence. To have a coach like him is a privilege for us, we have a coach who is among the best in the world. We’re trying to take advantage of that. From the beginning, he’s taught us a lot. He’s really a crack [superstar].
Before, you said that this year Athletic will go to the Copa final with more confidence. Is it Bielsa who’s giving you that confidence?
Yes, he gives us confidence when it comes to playing the ball, moving the ball from behind, trying to always keep possession of the ball. That’s something that we’ve really noticed because what he wants, above all, is to have possession of the ball.
What’s undeniable is that from the moment Bielsa was on the bench, Athletic was in fashion. At the moment, only Barcelona has more players on the senior and Olympic national teams. The blaugranas have 11, and Athletic has 8.
That’s a sign that things are being done well. We players are doing things well and hopefully we can take part in the Olympics as well as the Eurocopa.
It seems that you have a very high chance of participating in both of those competitions.
I don’t know, I don’t know if I’ll be at the Eurocopa, or the Olympics, or both. For me, to play in two such huge competitions, as important as these, is a dream, and hopefully I can take part in them both.
And what can you tell me about meeting Manchester United in the Europa League?
It’s a reward and a dream for us to be able to play at Old Trafford against Manchester United, as it is for the fans who won’t be able to fit in Old Trafford. That makes us sad because Athletic has played - and will play - very few times at Old Trafford and it’s a shame that not everyone can go.
By the way, what do you think of all the things they’ve been saying about the center-forwards of the national team?
I don’t think that there’s any national team that has forwards like ours. The one bit of bad luck is that el Guaje [David Villa], who is our biggest threat in front of the goal, is injured, but I’m sure that he will recover and he’ll be with us.
3. Muniain: "Casillas told me that he loves having a namesake on the national team”
(Original article here.)
Iker Muniain is capturing all the attention at the Spanish national team call-up before the match against Venezuela. The Athletic player has been, along with Roberto Soldado and Santi Cazorla, responsible for speaking to the press this Tuesday to offer his impressions and to once again state that he feels “happy” to have been called up by Vicente del Bosque, and excited about the possibility of having no vacation time this summer due to playing in the Eurocopa and the Olympic Games. “As long as the coach wants to count on me, the opportunity to play in both competitions is great. They’re two wonderful competitons,” Muniain stated.
The player from Txantrea has been asked if he feels “more shy” during his debut with senior side. “In the beginning it’s normal, it happens to everyone. It’s difficult to gain confidence but my teammates have received me very warmly from the very first and they have integrated me into the group. I only have words of thanks for them,” the rojiblanco player explained, before confessing that on his first meeting with Captain Casillas, the Madrid goalkeeper assured him that he was “very happy to have a tocayo (namesake, someone with the same name) on the team.”
(As an aside, Iker was also asked if they had played any pranks or hazed him yet (novatadas), and he said that they wouldn’t dare try. Perhaps they recall his Twitter-pranking skills and don’t want to awaken the more mischevious parts of his nature?)
4. Amorebieta and Fernando Llorente at Cadena Ser
Everyone’s favorite Fernandos spoke to Cadena Ser last night, and apart from standard football talk, there was some great banter and adorable anecdotes. (Not entirely unexpected, of course!)
(A note: some of this interview was already covered by the Con La Roja Venezuela preview post, so I’m just going to provide translations of the more Athletic-specific material that Una Madridista didn’t cover. She got all of the truly interesting bits of this Cope interview with Javi & Amore, too.)
In addition to the interviewers joking with Amore that he should just sneak into the Spain lineup tomorrow and plead youthful error, there was some talk about Amore’s relationship with Iker Muniain: when he first joined the first team, Amore “adopted” him, and they were roommates during call-ups. When Llorente joins the conversation, he calls Amore “a character”, and they engage in a little bit of trash-talk, after clarifying that they’ve been good friends since they were little kids in the Athletic cantera. Amore says warningly that he intends to “complicate [the] lives” of his club teammates, and he jokes that “tomorrow I’m going to have my studs sharp!” (“Mañana estoy con los tacos afilados!”) And Fer says, laughingly, that he told Amore to take it easy (tranquilito today, since they have a derby (against La Real) on Sunday.
The interviewer also asks Amore why they call him “Meji”, and this causes lots of laughter from both Fernandos. Amore says to “ask the one on the other end of the line,” while Fer says, “you should ask him, he knows the story better than me!”
So Amore explains: “These cabrones (jerks), when we were little, they used to make fun of me... because I wore these boots, they were fisherman’s boots, and these cabrones, they called me mejillones (mussels).”
5. Llorente, Amorebieta, and Javi Martínez: Friends and Rivals
Fernando Llorente and Javi Martínez will face off this Wednesday at La Rosaleda, probably as starters, with their teammate Fernando Amorebieta. For one day, these three teammates - two whom could be added Iker Muniain and Andoni Iraola - will represent different sides in the friendly match between Venezuela and Spain.
This has given rise to the possibility that, for the first time in 56 years, five Athletic players could coincide on a playing field, if Vicente del Bosque and César Farías decide to play them. The most doubtful is the Venezuela player. Amorebieta is suffering from a blow to his left instep, and although he will probably play, it won’t be decided until the last minute. (Source.
6. Amorebieta: "Spain is the strongest and that could be their weakness”
Click to viewNarrator: The Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta, chats with LigaBBVA about the upcoming match between Spain and Venezuela, a special encounter for the Venezuelan international, who could face off against two of his Athletic teammates, Fernando Llorente and Javi Martínez.
Amore: It’s something special, no? Because I’ve never played against them. I’ve been here at Lezama with Llorente since we were ten years old, and I’ve never been able to play against him, and I think it’s a wonderful opportunity.
Narrator: Amorebieta thinks that La Roja’s strongest point can also be their weakness...
Amore: It’s a very strong national team, who play very well, who are showing that they are the best team, no? But that is also a fault, that they believe that they’re superior to their rival, and their rival will always try their hardest to go after them, because they don’t have anything to lose.
Narrator: The centerback believes that the Venezuelan side has a great opportunity...
Amore: The team have demonstrated that they are capable of beating anyone, in fact, such big teams as Argentina... and I think by doing good defensive work and making the match uncomfortable for them, and with a bit of luck, we can win.
Narrator: And he reveals that he will come up against one of the players who he most admires.
Amore: When I was little, I always paid attention to the forwards. I liked Romario a lot, but now, for example, I look up to Puyol, because of how he demands so much of himself in every match, how intensely he lives it, whether it’s a friendly, regardless of the lineup, he always gives 100%.
(Side note: he needs to practice with the camera, no? Ah well. He’s adorable anyway.)
Whew! That’s everything for now, I think. Spain and Venezuela face off in just about two hours, so there will be lots more to talk about afterwards, too!