The captain claims it wasn’t a good match tonight “but sometimes we haven’t played well and still won.  The state of the pitch, the constant heavy rain, the ball being in the air a great deal…it’s no surprise things didn’t work out, but we fought until the end.”
 
Weligton is certain the fans are proud of their team: “We were aware this was going to be a tough season, with a lot of young new players, but with a great deal of hard work and dedication we’ve achieved some fantastic results, better than we hoped.”


Recio: “The team that made a mistake would pay the price, and it was us”

Along with the Brazilian defender, Recio also appeared in the mixed zone after tonight’s game.  The ‘Malagueño’ leaves San Mamés “very upset” as “we knew the fans’ level of expectation, we were on the verge of making history and with this squad we could have reached the final.  We believed in our success and that fact that our hard work could have taken us to the semi-finals.”
 
The Cup tie was very even between both rivals, as predicted: “Athletic always make their opponents feel uncomfortable and hinder their style of play.  The conditions of the pitch didn’t help tonight, it was very soft so the ball kept running away.  We were aware of how difficult this match would be, and that it would be the small details that would be the decider.  The team that made a mistake would pay the price, and it was us, in a counter attack where we were caught out at the back.”
 
The Blue and Whites are now focused on the forthcoming League match against Valencia CF at La Rosaleda on Monday night: “It’s not going to be easy getting over this game, but as from tomorrow we’ll begin preparations for Monday’s match and give our all.  We’re determined to return to winning ways and start the second round in the best possible way."