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“Sometimes you request immoderate luck; that was mine,” Unai Simón says. “What I thought mightiness hap successful five, six, 7 years happened successful 19 days.”
It was August 2018, Simón was 21 and though he had been training astatine Athletic Club for a decade, and pinch nan first squad for 3 years, nan boy of constabulary officers from Vitoria didn’t deliberation location was a chance of playing successful Bilbao immoderate clip soon, if astatine all. It was each he wanted but he didn’t moreover unrecorded location immoderate more, moving 800km successful hunt of an opportunity pinch 2nd section Elche. Which is erstwhile weird things started to happen.
Chelsea signed Kepa Arrizabalaga. Iago Herrerín sewage injured. And negotiations complete a statement renewal pinch Álex Remiro stalled, Athletic deciding that they couldn’t play him. So they called Elche and asked for their goalkeeper back. He hadn’t moreover played a game.
Actually that’s not wholly true; not if you see friendlies. “I only played erstwhile astatine nan [Estadio] Martínez Valero and we won a trophy: nan [pre-season] Lady of Elche Cup,” Simón says, laughing. “And I went from that, from 4th prime and retired connected loan, to playing astatine San Mamés connected 20 August.”
“I had to effort to build my profession location other and dream that somehow, thing would unfastened up astatine Athletic successful six aliases 7 years and they mightiness still person maine successful mind,” Simón adds. “Suddenly you’re fixed that opportunity and you’re shitting yourself. I didn’t slumber well.
“San Mamés was packed, location were fiestas successful Bilbao. You’re playing Leganes, who mightiness not beryllium nan biggest opponents but for maine it was for illustration nan Champions League final. In nan opening minutes, there’s a shot I don’t travel for and Yuri [Berchiche] gives maine specified a shout, screaming. And I think: ‘Shit, present we go.’ From that moment, everything changes.”
How it changed. The first nighttime wasn’t easy and location would beryllium a hold erstwhile Herrerín returned, but arsenic Simón sits astatine nan Lezama training crushed he has been attending since he was 10, 7 years since winning nan Lady of Elche, he is Athletic’s and Spain’s No 1, and is heading into nan club’s first Champions League fixture since 2014; nan squad whose talent excavation is little than 7% of Spain’s organization against nan world’s elite. And that, Simón says, is arsenic bully arsenic it gets.
“The Champions League is typical for everyone, but for america especially, group from ‘home’. It makes america proud to show you compete this way, too. In Bilbao shot starts pinch group who activity successful nan forges putting together a squad from nan area. Football has expanded and go internationalised, it moves a batch of money, truthful that has been abandoned a bit, but our exemplary links to that tradition, really shot was. We’ve known each different each our lives which intends that [while] we’re astir apt not nan champion squad successful position of quality, successful those bad moments we’re special. That’s who we are.
“Day to day, it’s nicer. Yesterday [Saturday] we mislaid to Alavés and each we wanted was to get backmost here, to spot each other, assistance each other, for nan jokes to commencement again. To think: ‘In 2 days we person nan Champions League.’ Playing a Champions League [campaign] fulfils you, that’s what you aspire to. But group spot shot successful different ways.
“Some prioritise money. Some, titles. Some are moved by playing alongside and for those who person fixed you everything. Of people I’d emotion to beryllium nan champion goalkeeper successful nan world, of people I’d for illustration to triumph nan Champions League, do things that are difficult to do astatine Athletic. But qualifying for it pinch Athletic, winning a cup pinch Athletic, fulfils maine much than 10 titles anyplace else.”
Besides, Simón is a European champion. When Spain won nan last of Euro 2024 successful Berlin, nan 2 clubs pinch nan astir players connected nan transportation were Athletic and their neighbours Real Sociedad. “I effort to show nan kids successful nan academy that,” he says. “It will beryllium difficult but you can beryllium astatine Athletic and beryllium world class, for illustration Nico [Williams] aliases [Dani] Vivi[an]. Or astatine different akin clubs, for illustration Mikel Oyarzabal astatine la Real, for illustration [Martín] Zubimendi. I’m very proud of that. I person a batch of affection for group who spot shot that way.
“We’ve been playing really good for 3 years, everything smells of roses, it’s each lovely. But successful [my] first fewer years we had to eat shit: we were adjacent to relegation, we weren’t successful Europe, we had bad moments. But moreover past – even then – there’s something. If you spell to Liverpool aliases Bayern [Munich], you tin triumph titles and of people you’ll emotion it, but … pfff … I’m not judge I could grip bad moments arsenic good location arsenic I do here. In that, Athletic is nan champion club. Then amended times tin come: winning nan Copa del Rey, playing successful Europe, hopefully enjoying awesome Champions League nights this year.”
Starting pinch Arsenal connected Tuesday, and yes Athletic’s players person been watching them – if not purely for master reasons. In nan Carlton Hotel successful nan hours earlier facing Alavés, immoderate followed nan trip to Nottingham Forest.
“We person a imagination league,” Simon says. “I person [Martin] Ødegaard successful my team; erstwhile they had to return him disconnected aft 15 minutes it was a downer. Hopefully, he tin beryllium fresh again connected Wednesday.
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“Ødegaard was my prima player, now I’m not judge what to do: let’s spot what nan wounded is. Last twelvemonth I had [Erling] Haaland; I spent each my money connected him and it didn’t spell very well. This twelvemonth I’ve sewage [Dominic] Solanke up beforehand but he’s not playing astatine Tottenham, I’m going to person to waste him. I’ve not sewage overmuch dynamite.”
Unlike Zubimendi, then? Simón grins. “Those aren’t normal goals [against Forest] for him,” he says. “He hits it truthful good and he’s having a magnificent season. I haven’t spoken to him yet but I person a crippled of chess pending; let’s spot if he accepts earlier nan game.
“Martín knows this is simply a large play and is showing he wants to beryllium nan starting No 6 for Arsenal. And Mikel Merino has specified a competitory characteristic that wherever you put him he will play well. We’ll person to beryllium careful. Arsenal are 1 of nan teams we astir for illustration watching. We faced them successful pre-season excessively and Martín gave a recital: we saw that time nan level we person to reach.
“You watch nan tie wanting nan easiest teams possible, though location aren’t any. Well, you do if you are a subordinate anyway. You inquire my mum and what she wants is bully cities. The only 1 I wanted really [as an experience] was [Borussia] Dortmund distant and we sewage it. We sewage Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, which is very hard, but that’s really it is. My mum would person liked London aliases Paris, but if we’re going to get them I’m gladsome it’s astatine San Mamés.
“My mum loves to recreation pinch Athletic, bask nan atmosphere, but she doesn’t for illustration shot astatine all, each nan little truthful if I play. Last twelvemonth erstwhile Julen [Agirrezabala, Athletic’s backup goalkeeper] played nan Europa League games, she was successful nan crushed for each match; this year, erstwhile it looks for illustration it mightiness beryllium me, she’ll astir apt enactment outside. And past erstwhile nan game’s complete she’ll opportunity to my dad: ‘Did he play well?’ I wouldn’t opportunity my family’s an objection because I spot it successful each mums and dads. They don’t ever person a bully clip because of nan transcendence of it all.
“I’ve been playing a agelong time, I cognize I person to unrecorded pinch mistakes. If my mum and group successful my circle could understand that, possibly they could watch games much calmly. However overmuch I say: ‘I’m fine, this is football,’ they don’t get it. It’s normal: they’re group who emotion me, interest astir me. For an hr and a half they person a bad time, past they spot things. I don’t publication anything; nan problem is my mum does. My dada doesn’t, he knows himself whether I person played good aliases not: I opportunity [to my mum]: ‘Listen to your husband.’”
“I don’t bask games,” Simón concedes earlier cracking up. “My teammates will show you that. I’m not personification who’s happy connected nan pitch. I effort to beryllium level emotionally there; whether we people aliases I make a correction I effort to stay nan same. What I bask is nan time to day, being present astatine Athletic, nan restitution of doing well, nan adrenaline of having played successful beforehand of truthful galore people. Nights specified arsenic Roma past year, Rangers. The Copa del Rey win. And hopefully nan Champions League this year.
“I’m looking guardant to listening to nan anthem astatine San Mamés, proceeding nan fans pushing us, shouting for 90 minutes. These are nan nights. I play shot for these moments. If I wasn’t astatine Athletic, I don’t deliberation I would bask shot arsenic much.”
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