Bielsa accepts blame for Copa del Rey defeat and says future will be sorted 'one way or another' next week

Posted Saturday, May 26, 2012 by

Athletic Bilbao boss Marcelo Bielsa took full responsibility for his side's 3-0 defeat by Barcelona in the final of the Copa del Rey final on Friday night, and revealed that his future with the club will be resolved "one way or another" next week.

The Basques conceded all three goals in the opening 25 minutes of the match at the Vicente Calderon, with Pedro making an early breakthrough for the Blaugrana before netting again after Lionel Messi had racked up his 73rd goal of the season.

Bielsa, who is out of contract this summer, has been widely praised for his work with Athletic this season but he felt that he had got his tactics wrong on the night.

"I accept that the approach we presented was not successful," the Argentine conceded. "I realize that. I'm the decision-maker. I represent and am responsible for a team that today did not carry through the plan I had established.

"Now we will evaluate the continuity of the coaching staff with a meeting between all parties concerned. I suppose in the course of next week the subject of my continuity must be decided in one way or another."

Many Athletic players had been reduced to tears by their 3-0 defeat in the final of the Europa League by Atletico Madrid and Bielsa admitted that they were hurting again after the loss to Barca.

"I saw a lot of pain on the players' faces after the game," the former Chile boss confessed. "We have a very young team.

"But we can now go one of two ways: we can use the experience because there is room for growth, or admit that there was an inability to cope with the high demands placed upon us this year."

The 56-year-old Bielsa only arrived at San Mames at the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign.