Athletic Club de Bilbao

[RedMadridista]

Who died?

The team. They are losing 2 key players...

 

[XaviMessiGirl]

Juve and Arsenal want Llorente... Amorebieta will probably leave too.

 

[Raed]

He means the club, but to be honest, if they do sell Llorente now it means they have cash to hold onto their other players.

 

[Cruijffista]

Sad to see both Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente leave this club at the same time. It hurts La Liga.

 

[mitkoa7x]

Sad to see both Javi Martinez and Fernando Llorente leave this club at the same time. It hurts La Liga.

Herrera and Muniain are staying tho.

 

[Cruijffista]

http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/mercado-de-fichajes/real-sociedad-betis-alerta-2186225

Bilbao is looking to sign both Beñat and Griezmann with some of the funds they will receive from the sales of Martinez and Llorente.

Reacquiring Beñat would be a shrewd move by them. I was extremely impressed every time I seen him play last campaign.

 

[Aryagorn]

Griezmann is French... If they really are planning to sign him up, it marks a new era for Athletic

 

[XaviMessiGirl]

Griezmann is French... If they really are planning to sign him up, it marks a new era for Athletic

He probably has some Basque blood somewhere, some parts of France are in the greater Basque country I believe.

 

[Cruijffista]

He probably has some Basque blood somewhere, some parts of France are in the greater Basque country I believe.

Yeah, from what I heard he does have Basque bloodlines.

 

[La Furia]

Griezmann is French... If they really are planning to sign him up, it marks a new era for Athletic

A French Basque has already played for Athletic previously, Bixente Lizarazu.

But whatever paves the way for the eventual signing of Higgy.

 

[Deco 20]

Getting Griezmann would be difficult considering the rivalry between the club... and Higuaín probably wouldn't happen even if he was a poor player... Just don't see them buying a RM-player

 

[Darko]

I was hoping they could make a push for the CL spot but now with both Javi and Llorente both leaving...

 

[Fishdoll]

Well, Llorente is still there but given the shouting match he and Bielsa got into today at training (resulting in Llorente storming off the pitch and departing lezama shortly thereafter according to friends who were there) indicates that things are far from good. I imagine the death threats will start up again.

The poor place is falling apart.

 

[La Furia]

Oh dear, this is a mess.

Not sure I sympathize much with Llorente though, it's clear him and Bielsa aren't a good fit on multiple levels but Bielsa has offered to resign multiple times if it meant keeping the players, I think Llorente just wants out one way or another. Of course the biggest issue is with the club itself for not selling him to the Gobbi when they had the chance.

 

[Fishdoll]

Today's fallout was very public - Athletic's training sessions are public and there're usually several hundred folks there in addition to the regular media. Apparently during training, there was a practice game between the first team and the cantera. Bielsa stopped the practice game, pulled the first team aside, and started yelling, directing most of his anger at Llorente. And at some point Llorente responded in kind.

A LOT of the players have issues with Bielsa and his training methods. The number of guys who've been out with sports hernia injuries is scary (2 having had surgery for it so far), but that's the most public visible sign apart from Javi Martinez leaving and Llorente refusing to renew. Bielsa's presser about having offered to resign is...good politics but should not be taken at face value. It was a CYA interview. There are also issues between players and club management (Urrutia is a militant hardline Basque nationalist and to him the hint of anything but blind desire to stay with Athletic for life is treason and disloyalty. don't take his pressers at face value either - those in particular are stage managed very carefully). It really is a mess.