El Vasco Aguirre, without a happy ending; Athletic wins the Copa del Rey

Javier Aguirre made Mallorca a survival manual. Although in soccer no player or coach is more than a team, the Mexican’s contribution has been so great for two seasons that the boundaries became confused. Captain Antonio Raíllo once defined him as a man capable of building castles in the worst hell. In the final of the Copa del Rey, the Vasco He confirmed that theory, despite losing 4-2 on penalties (after 1-1 in the 90 minutes and extra time) against the rival most beloved by his parents, Athletic Bilbao.

In an image taken on video during the broadcast of the match, Aguirre took a few steps in front of his coaching staff and his lips were read: “Move the ball, motherfucker, faster!” With that strength of character, the vermillions began to heal the wounds they accumulated in 2022, when they reached the bottom of the table in Spain’s top category with nine games remaining and achieved a new resurrection, starting with the arrival of the former coach national.

The 1-0 with which Dani Rodríguez put Mallorca ahead increased the belief that Aguirre has more than seven lives just like cats, as the old saying asserts. The left back watched from the crescent as goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala and his defenders scrambled to get the ball out of the area and, upon receiving a delayed pass from Raíllo, he found the open goal, causing the thousands of people who accompanied them in the stadium to explode. La Cartuja stadium, in Seville.

The youngest coaches in our country usually have at Vasco as a point of reference, but none have been able to match their numbers on the international scale. Always talkative and feisty, he has traveled through different cultures with a remarkable capacity for motivation that he managed to inject into most of his teams. He coached three different teams (Mexico, Japan and Egypt), won championships as a coach and player, and competed in the elite for more than 20 years, in addition to avoiding relegations when his rivals were already doing so on the canvas.

Accustomed to sailing against the current, the Mexican assimilated Oihan Sancet’s tie (50) as a consequence of the dominance that Athletic had imposed. With the entire second half ahead, the more than 60 thousand fans in La Cartuja turned the stands into an improvised pressure cooker, transmitting a push that those led by Ernesto Valverde took advantage of to corner the vermilions in their own area with more shots from Sancet and Nico Williams. Only then did Aguirre’s men wake up from their lethargy.

With the illusion it is not enoughwarned more than once Vasco in the press conference before the game, as if sniffing out the different scenarios that awaited him against Athletic. Formed in the minor categories of the América club, the 65-year-old man once again raised his Mallor-ca’s guard in the final minutes. Again and again the players looked at him to understand what was needed.

An uneven extension

The emergency plan aimed at extra time, at resisting and showing skill while waiting for a counterattack that would be devastating for the so-called Bilbao Lions.

The first part of the extra time went to Athletic. Iker Muniain failed to take advantage of a volley in front of the goal and sent it over the crossbar. He also had a remarkably executed foul in his boots, which barely passed a few centimeters to the left of the Mallorcan goal. Those were the only two notable actions in the first 15 minutes with little rhythm.

The initiative continued to belong to the Basque team in the second 15 minutes. The clearest was Nico Williams, who missed the shot when receiving a pass from De Marcos from the baseline. An occasion to which Muriqi responded with a header that made Agirrezabala intervene.

About to start the round from the penalty area, the Vasco He led the selection of kickers in the middle of a human circle, formed by his teammates. Every mention of the player noted on the list was celebrated with excitement. They bathed the Mexican with water, pushed him and hugged him, regardless of the fate of the final. Once from the eleven steps, Manuel Morlanes and Nemanja Radonjic missed their charges, while Álex Berenguer converted the final 4-2.

In this way, Athletic won its 24th Copa del Rey after a 40-year drought. I have a feeling of crueltysummarized the Mexican coach after his second defeat in the definition of the contest. There was no happy ending. I told the players to lift their heads, because we gave what we have and that is enough. The penalty is a technical gesture, but also an emotional game and a kind of chance. We sold the defeat dearly, I have nothing to reproach.

Fight between batons

Hours before the opening whistle, on the Alameda de Hércules boulevard in Seville, a confrontation took place between Mallorca and Athletic fans, in which there was an exchange of flares and hotel furniture. The National Police immediately mobilized to break up the fight. No arrests were reported.

(With information from AFP and Europa Press)