Athletic Bilbao, the 2011/12 losing finalists of UEFA Europa League, will restart their campaign in the second tier European club competition with their talisman consigned to the bench.
After a messy bust-up with Lezama contractors at the start of pre-season training, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fernando-Llorente-c13671 in Bilbao’s fixtures, adding fuel to rumours about another quarrel
at the San Mames.
Thanks to their poor performances at the tail end of the 2011/12 La Liga season, Athletic Bilbao squad has been called for action earlier than they would have liked. The Basque entity take on the challenge of Slaven Belupo on Thursday morning, with the return
leg scheduled for August 9.
However, the news coming from the dressing room is unpleasant for all Los Leones fans. Marcelo Bielsa is still upset following his altercation with contractors working to improve the training facilities, with the matters escalating in a bust-up with star
striker, Fernando Llorente.
The speculation has been put to rest by the former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chile-c2871 national team manager, who explained his reasons to consign Llorente to the bench. Bielsa remarked that the Spanish international is not at the best of conditions to play the match after reporting
for duty two weeks later than the rest of the group.
"He has had two weeks' less work," Bielsa said while in conversation with reporters at the pre-match press conference, referring to Llorente's participation in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ukraine-c3032 hosted Euro 2012 with Spanish national team. "So, this is an issue that concerns
only two parties: the footballer and the club."
Bielsa also took out time to reveal his reasoning to hold fewer press conferences before the start of the season. He remarked that he took the decision in the best interest of all parties involved as everything blows up in the media and a negative image
is portrayed, which does not help anyone.
"That's all I'd like to say on these matters," he admitted. "I'd rather not allow them to manifest into something else.”
"Starting from tomorrow, we start competing again and it's better that I express myself through the results of the team. That's the most important part of my http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Job-c18684."
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