Athletic Club Returns from Bergamo with High Hopes

The Athletic Club delegation has embarked on its return journey from Bergamo, satisfied with the outcomes of their trip. The official party, comprising players, executives, and sponsors, is flying back to Loiu, where the team will conduct a light training session at Lezama starting at 13:45. Meanwhile, fans are returning in stages; some have already departed, while others choose to extend their stay in Italy through the weekend. Many are traveling by road, with an overnight stop in France, while the more adventurous are heading directly to Seville, where Athletic will face La Liga competition this Saturday.

The upcoming match on Wednesday is expected to boost ticket sales significantly. This expectation is heightened by the fact that Sporting CP will not have any fans present at San Mamés due to a UEFA sanction imposed in December for the use of pyrotechnics by their supporters. The Lisbon club has utilized social media to announce that, following the UEFA sanction—prohibiting their fans from purchasing tickets for the UEFA Champions League match against Athletic Club at San Mamés—the host club has communicated that any Sporting CP supporter who independently acquires a ticket may be denied entry to the stadium in accordance with local legislation and authorities.

San Mamés is poised to be filled to capacity, aiming to surpass the 52,114 spectators that attended the quarter-final match against Rangers in the last Europa League, which stands as the highest attendance for an Athletic match. However, attendance will largely depend on fans’ financial capability, as tickets available for sale start at 120 euros (for the north and south stands) and reach up to 385 euros for the main stand. The club also offers an exclusive option to purchase a seat in the presidential box for 605 euros.

The victory against Atalanta allows Athletic to contend for their first advancement to a knockout stage after the initial phase of the Champions League. This marks the third time the team has participated in this prestigious tournament format. In 1999, they were eliminated after sharing a group with Juventus, Galatasaray, and Rosenborg. In 2014, they also failed to advance, facing Porto, Shakhtar, and BATE Borisov. In previous iterations of the tournament with pure knockout rounds from the first draw, the furthest the Athletic has reached is the quarter-finals in the 1956-57 season, where they faced Manchester United. The Lions won the first leg 5-3, with goals from Uribe (2), Markaida, Merodio, and Artetxe, but lost their advantage during the return leg at Maine Road, succumbing to a 0-3 defeat.