Marcelo Bielsa’s talk to the Athletic Bilbao players after their Europa League and Copa del Rey Final defeats has been leaked
The day after losing the Cup Final to Barcelona and just a couple of weeks on from having also lost to Atletico Madrid in Bucharest, Bielsa called a meeting at Lezama to talk to the players and reflect on their season and how it ended.
“You’re allowed to laugh after seeing the guys who have come back on foot from Madrid…and we are also a part of this group laughing after losing a final,” he is reported by El Desmarque Bizkaia as saying.
“You can allow all of these things, but not in football and not in life, guys, for the opportunities to have revenge will only now come after some time, after a long time. And you will remember what I am telling you, and I repeat it, it is not about winning, but about how we lost.
“So for me, the transition [during the season] was extraordinary, because you played some extraordinary games, truly extraordinary, how it ended is unclear at the moment and I do not know why it is unclear. Because the reality is that guys, I do not know why.
“I do not reach the same conclusions that we were too nervous, which you all attributed to yourselves. For me…if you ask me why, worse yet, I do not know why.
“Well, that's it boys, goodbye if I do not see you again, and if we do meet again then we'll carry on fighting to carry on doing big things.”
