Villalibre "The potholes have strengthened me"
This previous one, a year ago and without Covid in between, would have been about the mother of all parties.
Imagine the scene, even if it hurts.
The hubbub of the wonderful Sevillian Holy Week seasoned with the visit to the Andalusian capital of tens of thousands of Basques, many more than fit in La Cartuja, arrived from Bilbao and San Sebastián with their happy pockets and their healthy coexistence regardless the colors of your shirt.
The reality these days, however, has been very different.
Contained Holy Week, just a handful of Sevillian peñistas and, tonight, tens of thousands of Basques resigned to watching the game on television and locked in their homes.
The circumstances, in short, are far from what was desired and unfortunately it was useless to postpone the final for a year instead of playing it last summer.
But what nothing can take away from this party is its historical significance.
With or without the public, in 2020 or 2021, the Basque derby that takes place tonight at the La Cartuja Stadium will be eternal.
Because many years from now, even generations, those who win today and their children, and their grandchildren ... will still remind their neighbors that in 2021 one of them touched glory at the expense of the other.
A denouement that, on both sides of the A-8, haunts even more than hopes of a triumph.
Specifically in Bilbao, with the prospect of another final against Barcelona in 14 days, there is no doubt: if you have to choose victory in a single final, let it be today.
And it is that never in history has there been a Basque derby with greater significance than this one.
The rivalry itself and drought
copera
spanning both teams.
Athletic has not raised the title since 1984, despite having already had three chances, all against Barça;
while the Real triumphed for the last time in 1987 and played its last final the following year.
Only
Silva
,
Monreal
and
Moyá
had already been born in the San Sebastian squad, none in Bilbao.
Aduriz
had done it, but the postponement of the final prevents him from playing it, a circumstance that he shares with, among others,
Beñat
and
San José
in Athletic, with
Odegaard
,
Willian José
and
Llorente
in La Real.
All of them will be champions if their former team wins today.
In return, new protagonists appear, such as
Berenguer
,
Silva
and four players who, curiously, had been eliminated in the semifinals, all from Real:
Merquelanz
,
Guridi
,
Sagnan
and
Carlos Fernández
.
And
Marcelino
himself
, of course.
Illarramendi injury
The scenario will be the same one in which Athletic won the Super Cup a couple of months ago.
«When you enter here, the first memory that comes to mind is the great moment of happiness that we lived.
But that is history, "said the Athletic coach on Friday, who added one more personal challenge to all the aforementioned challenges: revalidating his status as current Cup champion, achieved with Valencia in 2019. If he succeeds, he will be the first coach in history to win two titles in a row with two different clubs.
It is difficult to predict a favorite.
La Real is better in the League -10 points ahead-, but Athletic has grown a lot since the arrival of Marcelino - a victory in the Super Cup and this year's Cup final - and has more footballers with experience in finals.
“The team that faces the game with the most personality is going to have a lot to win.
The small details will be decisive ”, predicted
Imanol Alguacil,
minutes before seeing how
Illarramendi
was injured in the previous training.
A drop, if confirmed, of draft.
If he can do it, the captain will force.
Nobody wants to miss the derby of all time.
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See links of interest
2021 business calendar
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Bautista - Sinner, live
Fenerbahce Istanbul - Barça
Real Madrid - Olympiacos, live
Levante - Huesca