Former Athletic Club, Valencia, Real Mallorca and Real Valladolid forward Aritz Aduriz has stated that Athletic’s presence in the Conference League at the expense of Osasuna is unfair.
There have been suggestions in the North of Spain that Athletic, or somebody connected to Athletic, might have brought UEFA’s attention to the match-fixing scandal a decade ago. These claims are so far baseless. Osasuna have been suspended from European football for next season, and are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport about the ban.
Aduriz told Europa Press that the idea of Athletic complaining to UEFA preposterous.
“Athletic has absolutely nothing to do with it. We played a game in Mallorca against Athletic in the final matchdays of La Liga, and Athletic equalised in the 95th minute. If it hadn’t been for that little detail, would they be talking about Mallorca being the one that is taking their place?”
The former forward referenced the rivalry between Osasuna and Athletic, but was clear that the ban was unfair.
“One thing has absolutely nothing to do with the other. For me, it is injust that what you have earned via sporting merit can be taken away.”
Regarding his former club, Aduriz was more positive about Athletic than many in the Basque Country.
“Perhaps that objective that we all want, for Athletic to be in Europe every year, is not being achieved. But I think that Athletic are working very well, they are having very good seasons and they have a great team, and I think that the work they are doing doing is exceptional.”
Athletic have struggled for consistency in recent seasons. Despite some excellent players, and two good managers in Marcelino Garcia Toral and Ernesto Valverde without a goalscorer like Aduriz, they have been unable to put games away. Since Aduriz retired, Inaki Williams, Gorka Guruzeta and Asier Villalibre have struggled to fill the void.
