Athletic Club Suffers Heavy Defeat Against Barcelona

Athletic Club faced a disappointing 5-0 defeat in Jeddah, trailing 4-0 at halftime against Barcelona.

Valverde’s Reflections on the Match

Following the match, coach Ernesto Valverde expressed his disappointment, stating, “We initiated the game well, but once Barcelona scored, it hit us hard. If you allow your head to drop against teams of this caliber, they will capitalize on it. That’s their style of play.”

Valverde elaborated on the struggles of the team, saying, “The 4-0 halftime score was excruciating, and the second half felt like a nightmare. We needed to focus on preventing further damage, yet we lacked the necessary determination. It was a poor performance—one of our worst in quite some time—especially on a day when we were contending for the Super Cup. We need to regroup, and that is our plan.”

An Uncharacteristic Performance

Valverde emphasized, “What transpired today isn’t typical for us. We are a squad that consistently fights and strives to give our best in every contest… however, today was different, and I can’t quite explain why.”

He continued, “Perhaps we believed that playing defensively would yield better results, but it backfired… we must confront the reality.”

Valverde concluded, “Now, it’s crucial for us to recover following such a disheartening defeat. There are various ways to lose, but being down 4-0 at halftime signifies that the opposition has outplayed you significantly.”