Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has revealed he “hope[s] Athletic Club reach the final” ahead of the Red Devils’ semi-final clash with the Basque side at Old Trafford on Thursday.
United emerged emphatic winners from the first leg in Bilbao after storming to a three-nil lead before half time, courtesy of a penalty and a red card in the process which stunned the Estadio San de Ames.
The iconic stadium is renowned as a cauldron of noise on match day with the atmosphere fever pitch as the two teams took to field last week. But Ruben Amorim’s side weathered an early onslaught by Athletic to respond with three back-to-back goals across fifteen minutes while the Spaniards saw centre-back Dani Vivian dismissed in the process.
The San Ames – the venue for the Europa League final on May 17 – was raucous with rage as they watched their side capitulate, blaming the officials for decisions which ‘favoured’ the English side, though were each correct to have given.
It means Athletic travel to Manchester to begin tomorrow night’s second leg at Old Trafford with a three goal disadvantage before the first whistle is blown.
Ernesto Valverde’s team will also be without their three best forwards as both Williams’ brothers – Nico and Inaki – and Oihan Sancet did not make the journey after missing first-team training this week with injury.
If Athletic were to somehow turn the tie around it would constitute one of the greatest comebacks in European competition history.
Yet there are unlikely to be too many United fans expressing absolute confidence after their team’s abysmal campaign so far, which even saw Ligue 1 side Lyon score four unanswered goals in the previous round at Old Trafford.
But one former Red who is hoping Athletic pull off the dramatic recovery, despite 189 appearances in a United shirt, is Herrera – the Spanish midfielder who swapped Bilbao for Manchester in 2014 for £29 million.
Currently plying his trade in Argentina for Boca Juniors, the 35-year-old revealed he believes United have a “chance” to win the Europa League – the competition Herrera won with the club in 2017 – but hopes it is Athletic who make the final in Bilbao later this month.
“Manchester United are one of the favourites to win the competition. Since 2017, when I had the chance to win it, they haven’t been able to lift the trophy again and, without a doubt, they have a chance. I hope Athletic reach the final. It will be a great match and, from Argentina, I am not going to miss it.”
The former Athletic man, born and raised in the Basque country, will always pick the Spanish side over anyone, such is the special place the unique club holds in the hearts of its local supporters.
Herrera also made exactly 189 appearances for Athletic after joining the club from Real Zaragoza in 2011 as he qualifies for the club’s ‘Basque’ only policy to wear the famous white and red shirt.
And this almost unprecedented policy in football creates an affinity which goes beyond sport, even if the players leave the club for new adventures abroad.
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
