Athletic Bilbao vs Levante preview - Bilbao bid farewell to San Mames

Posted Sunday, May 26, 2013 by PA

Athletic Bilbao's game with Levante will be the club's final league match at their famous San Mames stadium and coach Marcelo Bielsa has joined the list of prestigious figures of the club in praising the old ground.

He told reporters: "It is not the architecture that makes a stadium historical, it is the things that the stadium has seen.

"San Mames has always come to the team's help in tough times. The fans lend the team a hand when they need it.

"The stadium has a special way of communicating with the players, and I have seen the effect it can have on the team."

The match has an added importance to it following Athletic's last-gasp win over Zaragoza last weekend, where they confirmed their status in the top flight for another season, and kept their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League alive.

The Basques could finish ninth in the Primera Division table and still qualify for Europe, as Malaga and Rayo Vallecano are banned from participating in European competition due to financial irregularities.

Defender Carlos Gurpegui admitted Athletic's chances of qualifying for Europe were slim, because their rivals will need to slip up, but declared they would give everything in their final two games.

"We have to go looking for the three points, we still have a chance of getting into the Europa League and we're going to give it a try," he said.

"It's the last game at San Mames and we have to win because it has to be a celebration. We know the ground is going to be full, and the fans deserve to have something to celebrate, I hope we can give them that."

Gurpegui added that he was delighted to be chosen as captain for the club's final game in the stadium.

"I'm very proud to represent all the players that have played on this pitch," he said.

Levante coach Juan Ignacio Martinez admitted he is "envious" of his players that will take part in the match.

He added: "It's a match I would happily pay to play in. Playing in San Mames is a dream for any young footballer and on top of that, it's the last competitive game there."