Matarazzo takes positives from game time despite defeat to Athletic

“It is important that footballers who had not played for a long time got plenty of minutes,” Matarazzo said. The Real Sociedad coach acknowledged that Athletic de Bilbao deserved to win the Euskal Herria Txapela final. The match also gave some of his players game time they have not been getting in LaLiga.

Matarazzo did not dispute Athletic’s victory. “It was a difficult match, in which Athletic were the better team. I congratulate them on the win. We started well, but then we lost the ball too often and that disrupted our rhythm. When we pressed high, we got tired chasing the ball; and without enough threat in possession, we did not create enough. We lost to a goal from a set piece, but the result was deserved,” he said.

He also discussed his side’s struggles in midfield. “Yes, I agree. We had Gonçalo, who was sometimes there and sometimes not, and Zakharyan, who played well even though his passing was not always accurate. If you want to dominate midfield, you need a different kind of play. We gave the ball away cheaply too often, which cost us confidence and made things harder,” he said.

Asked whether absences had affected the defeat, the coach chose to focus on a positive: as many as 11 players were unavailable. “That made it possible for five footballers who had not competed for a long time to play, including Aihen, Zakharyan, Rupérez and some others. They got a lot of competitive minutes, and that is very important. But something similar happened for Athletic too; that is normal in a match like this, so there are no excuses,” he said.

Matarazzo also pointed to a lack of understanding between players: many were playing together for the first time. Athletic had a similar problem, he said, but the difference may have been in the way the teams built their play.

With a busy schedule awaiting his side after the international break, in which up to nine of his players are involved, Matarazzo stressed the importance of recovery. “It is always important to stay healthy. There are many matches, and the players need to rest well, starting with those who return from their national teams. We are aware of that and will look for the right balance so everyone can maintain good fitness and the desire to play,” he concluded.