Athletic Bilbao/PSG: Valverde sees his team as Astérix!

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·9 December 2025

Athletic Bilbao/PSG: Valverde sees his team as Astérix!

This Wednesday at 9 PM (broadcast on Canal+) Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) faces Athletic Bilbao (27th) at the San Mamés Stadium as part of the 6th matchday of the 2025-2026 Champions League. In a press conference, Ernesto Valverde, the Spanish coach, spoke about this match and the Parisian opponent. He wants to ignite the stadium and show a spirit of solidarity.

Valverde "We are like Asterix, but we don't have the magic potion!"

"We are like Asterix, but we don't have the magic potion! We are a team with players from here. We have this strong identification with the players. It's part of our DNA. It's a miracle, but we will continue to fight. It's a key match for us, we have very few points (27th in the standings, 4 points), we need these points. It will be a tough, beautiful, interesting match. We must rise to the occasion. It's a vital match. If we win, it will be an important step. The same goes for a defeat. They are the favorites, but we are Athletic Club, anything is possible.

Valverde "We must try to play in a united way"

It's a physical, technical team. Their midfielders (those of PSG) have great mobility, it's difficult to keep up the pace for 90 minutes. It's a consistent team with great potential. But matches have to be played. We must try to play in a united way."

Ernesto Valverde, true to the deep identity of Athletic, reminded that his team remains an anomaly in modern football: a club recruiting only players from the Basque Country, which adds an almost mythological challenge to each European campaign. This reference to Asterix is not anecdotal: it perfectly sums up the spirit of a group he describes as limited in means but unwavering in convictions.

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Facing Paris Saint-Germain, whose technical power and especially the mobility of the midfield he highlights, Valverde knows that the potential gap is real. Yet, his speech is more an invitation to fervor than a fatalistic observation. He even makes it a turning point of the season: a victory would revive Bilbao, but a defeat would weigh heavily. In this incandescent San Mamés, the central idea remains solidarity, the only weapon identified to withstand the challenge.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.