Getafe is preparing for its visit to SanMamés with the tension of a fire that has shaken the Madrid club. The coach, JuanCarlosBordalás, has launched a series of public criticisms against the team's management, while president ÁngelTorres responds with statements that try to calm the situation. The confrontation occurs just before Athletic Bilbao faces Getafe in a match that, according to the coach, will be “the first final” of the season.
Athletic arrives at the event with a streak of three points in the last twelve games, which places them closer to relegation than to the European zone. The club has suffered doubts at the beginning of the LuisTerzic era and president IñakiWilliams has stressed the importance of the next game. For its part, Getafe, which lost 2‑5 to Lugano in the Conference League, has seen its public image deteriorate after the team's controversial performance and the recent controversy between Bordalás and the board.
Bordalás, who renewed his contract with Getafe until 2028, has accused the club of not fulfilling promises made over the years. During the press session, the coach showed his dissatisfaction with the lack of support and the massive rotation that he implemented in the first half of the last match, where the team fell 1‑3. The coach explained that the lack of changes in the game was a conscious decision, but that the lack of response from the board had made him feel “cheated.” The president, in response, stated that the club will not take drastic measures and that the players must prove the coach wrong.
The presence of Bordalás in SanMamés adds a layer of tension to the meeting. The coach has played nine times in the stadium, seven against Getafe and two against Valencia, with only one defeat. Getafe's only setback in Bilbao was the 5‑1 that Marcelino's Athletic won in January 2021, a result that occurred when the stadium was empty due to the pandemic. Getafe, with the same nine points as Athletic, faces pressure to prove its worth in the next game in Vallecas.
The conflict between Bordalás and the board is not new. In January, the coach had already expressed that the club needed “many players” to be competitive, and that it was in a “survival exercise” every day. Despite problems with the salary limit, Getafe managed to sign several reinforcements and finished seventh, securing a European berth. Athletic, for its part, has suffered several crises in the past and has emerged stronger in its visits to SanMamés, as seen on the opening day of the 24-25 season, where the team obtained a point with a reduced squad.
The next match between Athletic and Getafe promises to be a confrontation full of history and controversy. With Getafe in a crisis situation and Athletic seeking to consolidate its position in the table, the event at SanMamés is presented as a decisive moment for both teams. The result will not only influence the classification, but could also set the course of the relationship between the coach and the Getafe board.