Valvarde: Athletic are ready

Ernesto Valverde believes his Athletic Bilbao players are ready to take the leap into the Champions League group stage.

To do so Athletic will have to dispatch Napoli in the second leg of the play-off, tonight at San Mames, and Valverde told a Press conference that the players are prepared for the occasion in front of a packed crowd at their re-built home.

“We must be prepared. Yes, we think we are,” AS reports the Coach as saying ahead of the return bout, with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw.

“It’s always easier to prepare these types of games. The players have had months to plan it. They have to learn to control the pressure, as we did in Naples at the start.

“It is an extraordinary match where we inaugurate the stadium. The fans have always responded to a good standard of team in games like last season.

“We are better than before the away game, where there were many players making their debut in the Champions League.

“In San Paolo we had a difficult time after the goal but too many good times to be out of the tie. It’s sometimes inevitable when teams push as Napoli did. It is very difficult for one team to dominate.”

Valverde added that the Athletic camp recognise the importance of a full San Mames as much as observers from outside and believes it will be a factor.

“It is very important that the team is connected from the start. There is a huge difference between knocking out our opponents and an indifferent public,” he continued.

“One of our strengths is having the public on our side and that is achieved within the game. We noticed it in San Paolo.”

Tags Ernesto Valverde Napoli
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