The Bilbao Athletic has been the biggest surprise of the playoff
Ziganda has worked a miracle thanks to a team with an average age of 20 and who were left without a goalkeeper, the U-21 player Kepa Arrizabalaga, on loan to Ponferradina, and without a goal scorer, Iñaki Williams. The key? Their ability to form a competitive group. Everyone plays, no one is untouchable.
This reserve team is more Basque than ever. Of the 24 players used, 18 are from the province, three are from Navarra, two are from Guipuzcoa, and one is from Alava. There is an effort to instill a sense of belonging. Ziganda says he spends more time trying to get them to identify with the club than on tactics, so that if a tempting offer comes, they respond, "I stay at Athletic because I want to."
As if they had agreed, the mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, told them yesterday at the reception at City Hall that "Athletic will give you what no one else can offer, the future depends on each one of you."
The College Entrance Exam.
What is most proud is that a handful of them entered Lezama when they were in the youth category. They are the 1995 generation, the Santamaria, Seguin, Undabarrena, Markel, and Iriondo. Cuco places great importance on education. The youth forward Villalibre, U-19 international player and with a contract worth about €60,000 because he was tempted by big clubs, did not play in the second leg against UCAM Murcia due to the College Entrance Exam. He did extremely well on the exam.