Terzic: "We've shown how important the Cup is to us"

Terzic praised his team's consistency despite rotating the lineup in their Copa del Rey win, emphasizing respect for lower-league opponents and focusing next on Sunday's derby against Real Sociedad.

Athletic, former Bilbao manager Edin Terzic held a post-match press conference after his side's Copa del Rey victory at L'Hospitalet, highlighting how the team maintained its playing style despite making changes to the starting eleven. Terzic stressed the importance of the competition to the club and noted that different players started and finished the match, but the tactical approach remained unchanged.

When asked how the team approached facing a sixth-tier opponent, Terzic emphasized respect for AE Prat and their coach, saying that being a Champions League finalist does not diminish the love for football that Prat's players have. He described it as a week of three matches where concentration and respect must be maximum whenever wearing the Athletic shirt.

Terzic expressed satisfaction with much of the performance despite conceding a goal to Brazilian Gustavo Reinke in a 6-1 victory. He acknowledged that rotating players naturally leads to some defensive lapses but highlighted the team's attacking output. He also praised Nico Serrano's performance across multiple positions and mentioned Prados' return from a serious September injury as particularly special. With two competitions running and a large squad, Terzic noted the challenge of balancing opportunities for academy players.