Valverde: "You have to take these opportunities in the Cup"

BARCELONA, 25 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Athletic Club coach, Ernesto Valverde, pointed out that they must take the opportunity to play other Copa del Rey semifinals and for this they must risk against Valencia CF, in Mestalla, in a single-game quarterfinal that is the reissue of the 'semi ' last year, which fell on the Valencian side.

"Here there is great enthusiasm for the Cup. I imagine that for them too, last year they reached the final. For us, it meant not reaching it and now we have another opportunity. We know what it costs to get here and opportunities like this have to be taken", assured at a press conference.

For Valverde, this match is "the most important" at the moment because it is "definitive" at the level of advancing in the Cup. "It is a match in which the semifinal of last year is repeated, only victory is worth it and there is the attraction The prize, reaching a semifinal, is very big and both teams have to play for it," he said.

And he does not think that it will be difficult for them to change their chip with respect to LaLiga Santander. "Last week it didn't cost us much to change and we won. We're good in the Cup, we're excited about the Cup and we have to play tomorrow and we're not thinking about another game," he said, referring to the cup duel against RCD Espanyol (victory 1- 0).

"I look forward to the Athletic that we're seeing every day. We're doing well with that. We have to hit the mark on some issues but, for the rest, I'm delighted with the team and with the things it does. I suppose Valencia will want to keep the things they do well They dare to play and want to take the initiative. They carry a regular line", he commented on how they both arrive.

For Valverde, Valencia tries to take the initiative with the ball and, in that, he believes that "he is not cheating". "It is true that they have put themselves ahead several times. Each one of us has a defined personality. The game here was open, it cost us a lot and they gave us chances. It will be a similar game, we have to take them into account for what they do ", he stressed.

He did give importance to the fact of playing in Mestalla, the result of the pure draw of the round. "Playing at home is an important advantage, we're not going to fool ourselves. When it's a one-game tie, playing in front of your fans gives you a lot. It's an advantage for them and a disadvantage for us. But for both, only victory is worth it," he added. .

On the other hand, he was calm regarding the winter market and the rumors of the departure of Nico Williams, Iñigo Martínez, Unai Vencedor or Asier Villalibre. "It doesn't worry me. In January, when there is a market, these things always happen. But it doesn't happen only to us. There are always rumors, movements... Those things are in the landscape and it doesn't move us anywhere," he was honest. .