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“The penalty changed the match”

Quique Sánchez Flores regretted the defeat in San Mamés and has ensured that the match was distorted very soon, with the penalty socred by Aduriz. The coach has argued his willingness to "give minutes" to less-than-usual players "and protect others who were threatened with suspension" in a week with three games. However, he said that "after fifteen minutes we were behind in the score board and then we have defended badly a strategy move and that made everything very complicated".

Quique has insisted that "to be strong in the field we must endure and the team unfold to the opposite goal. But it has not been that way. The penalty was a pitcher of cold water. When Athletic had not gone to the game and had a goal in their favour. From there everything becomes complicated. In any case, the players gave the maximum and in the second half everything equaled a little more".

For the coach, "this team will never give up the dream of reaching an unforeseen goal at the beginning of the season, but we notice that there is still some difference with teams competing for something else. We are forcing the machine and when you get behind the scoreboard, we show a face that we do not like. In any case, there are still eight games to go and it is unfair to question this team for a goal that was not scheduled from the beginning”.