Urzaiz: "It’s a semi-final all about two clubs dreaming of Copa success"

After the 1-1 draw between Athletic Club and RCD Espanyol in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final, excitement and entertainment are guaranteed in Wednesday’s return at the Power8 Stadium. With that in mind, LFP.es turned to an Athletic legend – one who also pulled on the shirt of Espanyol – to find out his opinion. That man is Ismael Urzaiz (Tudela, 1971), a player universally remembered as one of the Bilbao side’s best goalscorers.

In the view of the Navarre-born former forward, it’s a semi-final clash in which desire and enthusiasm are paramount: "The first-leg result means it’s still all to play for and obviously the level of excitement is huge, so it’ll be a really special match.  It will come down to who shows more determination in going for the match. It’s a semi-final all about two clubs who are dreaming of Copa success and would give anything to be in that final."

According to Urzaiz, both sides come into the game in good shape to confront one of the most evenly-matched ties in recent years: "Bit by bit Espanyol have consolidated, with a new coach, with good players and, right now, they’re a team with a clear game plan who are pretty strong." 

"Athletic, however, have had a trickier season because of their exertions in the UEFA Champions League. There are also a lot of young players who still have to establish themselves, and veteran players who aren’t playing such a big role. After their problems in the Liga BBVA, the team have recovered a little in the table, something which brings calm to the group and in terms of their state of mind it’s a good time to try to reach that final," he said.

"Athletic are a team who were the 'Kings of the Copa' until recently"

Copa dreams in Bilbao

In the wake of recent finals that have left a bitter taste in the mouth of the whole rojiblanco family, Athletic Club have a score to settle on behalf of their history and their fans. Despite these adverse experiences, the ex-Athletic player feels that the men from Bilbao "believe that they can achieve any goal, no matter how difficult. The last finals have been tough, because the results didn’t go their way, but that doesn’t dampen the fans’ spirits. I want Athletic to go through because they’re the team I spent the most years at, but I also have huge affection for Espanyol."

"I have great memories of the cup nights in Bilbao. I wasn’t lucky enough to get to a final, but they’re thrilling memories for me. Reaching a final brings with it the chance to win a trophy and that’s very important in Bilbao. Athletic are a team who were the 'Kings of the Copa' until recently," Urzaiz recalled nostalgically.

A lack of goals and the future of Iñaki Williams

Discussing how things are going for Ernesto Valverde’s side, Urzaiz – who during his playing days scored 129 times for the Basque club – feels a lack of goals may be a crucial factor. "They aren’t easy to come by and this year Athletic have been pretty inconsistent in that area. Aritz Aduriz is maintaining his level in terms of his goalscoring contribution, but there aren’t many players joining him to add more to the team’s efforts in attack."

Speaking on an optimistic note, he added: "There’s no doubt that Iñaki Williams is a promising player for Athletic’s future. He is a player who has a lot of qualities for a forward, with fantastic speed; he’s young, but he will continue to get the experience he needs." 

"My stint at Espanyol gave me back the confidence I needed to take on any challenge"

His time at Espanyol

Looking back once more, Urzaiz had nothing but positive words for his experience at the Catalan outfit: "For me, Espanyol had a springboard effect on my career. It was crucial, my time at the club gave me back the confidence I needed to take on any challenge and I have the best possible memories of that season. We had a good team, a good coach and people remember it even though I was only there for one year. That’s a source of pride for me."

Villarreal or FC Barcelona

Finally, the ex-player did not miss out on the opportunity to offer his thoughts on the tie that will provide the Copa del Rey’s other finalist: "I wouldn’t take anything for granted against this Villarreal CF side. We’ve seen that they’re capable of a lot. The other day they drew with Real Madrid, without their full-strength team. Anything can happen in football and if FC Barcelona aren’t at 100% and Villarreal put on a great game, they could knock them out of the Copa."