Óscar de Marcos has suggested that his Athletic Club side must “think positively” ahead of their must-win UEFA Europa League clash with AS Roma on Thursday.
Having lost the first leg [2-1] in the Italian capital last week, the Zurigorri captain is calling upon fans to turn San Mamés into a cauldron of atmosphere. In his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, the 35-year-old said: “It’s very important that we all come together. We’re stronger together, and we need all of San Mamés tomorrow, and until the end of the season come what may, for the good of the club.”
“Fans and players alike, we all have to give our best. If every one of us thinks like that, it’ll surely make getting through the knockout stages more feasible.”
The magnitude of the task facing Athletic Club on Thursday is not lost on the midfielder, who accepted that “the result is in Roma’s favour” – but he insisted that “we have to think positively […] and win at home.”
There is, potentially, extra pressure weighing on the shoulders of Athletic Club this season. With Bilbao selected as the host city for the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League final, the Zurigorri are desperate to lift the trophy aloft at la Catedral in front of their home support. De Marcos suggests that Thursday’s clash is something of a final in itself.
“In Europe, when you co through the rounds, you play finals and tomorrow we have another one. We’re already mentally prepared. We know that the matches are long – they’re 90 minutes, sometimes they’re 120 – so we have to go little by little and step by step.”
De Marcos is aware of the threat posed by an in-form Roma side, highlighting that the Italian outfit “can adapt to different characteristics and rhythms” – but he was quick to emphasise that “what we do is going to have a big influence on whether they’re good or not.”
“It’s always going to depend on ourselves,” he told reporters.