Julen Guerrero: "Javi Gracia has been able to get his ideas across very well"

Athletic Club and Málaga CF will face off for the second leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final tie in San Mamés, and, taking the previous meetings between the sides into account, this will be a hard game to call. What’s more, the two clubs have crossed paths twice in the last seven days, with both matches ending all square.

However, there has to be a winner and a loser this time round, and both the Basques and the Andalusians will be giving it their all to progress to the next round. In order to properly assess the upcoming fixture, LFP.es got in touch with Julen Guerrero, an Athletic legend and a man well versed on the Costa del Sol outfit’s youth academy.

Impossible to call

"After the first leg and the La Liga game on the weekend, it's clear that Thursday's match is going to be a tight affair. At 0-0 anything can happen. Athletic have home advantage but a Málaga goal could make life difficult for Ernesto Valverde's players, especially given how much they've been struggling to score themselves", pointed out Julen, who spent 14 seasons playing with the Lions, who have 23 Copa del Rey titles to their name.

The Portugalete native understands the importance of the Copa del Rey in the city of Bilbao, and is certain that the home supporters will be doing everything to get behind their players. "The Copa del Rey has always been treated as a special tournament in Bilbao, there is always that buzz that the team might get to the final. This season they are very close to doing that. Things aren’t going great in La Liga and there is a bit of nervousness creeping in, but they are one step away from the semi-final and the fans are really up for it", added Guerrero.

One of the players creating the most amount of excitement in San Mamés these days is Iñaki Williams. With the team lacking goals, the young forward could be the outlet Valverde’s charges are looking for. "He has done well with the reserves and bit by bit is getting more playing time with the first team. He is a very powerful player who knows how to create space. He can offer the team a lot. That’s his biggest strength in my opinion. His freshness could do Athletic the world of good".

Javi Gracia's great work

But Athletic is not the only topic of conversation Guerrero will engage in. After hanging up his boots as a player he joined the ranks of the Málaga youth academy, where he was in charge of the technical department. Given his knowledge of the club, the former Spanish international is not surprised by the likes of Samu Castillejo, Juanpi, Samu García and Juanmi breaking through.

"At the end of the day they are players who have made it, and I'd like to see them get a regular run out. Instead of seeing them used just because there weren’t any other options, I'd rather it were a natural process. Gracia is a manager well used to working with the youth academy. He was at Athletic for years, and also with Real Sociedad… He knows better than anyone what these lads are capable of, and hopefully more young players make their way through every year", said the former Spanish international.

Julen did not stop there with his praise of the Navarra-born coach, who helped Málaga to their best ever first half of a season, and has also equalled his best ever run in the Copa del Rey. "He is an easy-going manager, who has taken over at a club that has a lot of turnover to deal with each season. He has been able to get his ideas across very well thanks to his laid back demeanour. Things have been going well for him since he began with the team and he has played a huge role in Málaga's great season so far".