Iker Muniain brought together more than 20,000 fans in San Mamés at a farewell event as an Athletic player in which he was accompanied by his own, family, friends, teammates and more people from the world of football with whom he has met during his career of, for now, 15 seasons.
It was an act that the red and white captain, who leaves the team at the end of the season on his own initiative, began accompanied by his children, Iker and Claudia, and with his teammates from the men’s and women’s teams of the Bilbao club standing in front of him.
The highlight was when throughout San Mamés, Athletic reported that there were more than 27,000 who withdrew the free entrance To attend the event, he began to sing the song that Muniain himself made famous in the celebrations for the Copa del Rey won on April 6 in Seville. Especially the day the Barge once again plowed the waters of the Ría, April 11.
Message from Iribar
“This is the famous Athletic, the famous Athletic Club; these are the champions, ‘Aupa Athletic Txapeldun'” was a chant that preceded that of “Iribar, Iribar, Iribar is great, there is none like Iribar”, when the legendary rojibalnco goalkeeper addressed a few words to the Navarrese striker, being the last of “the special guests” who accompanied the captain in an event that lasted just over an hour.
The pass for those guests was opened by the current president of Athletic, Jon Uriartewho wore a captain’s armband with the number ’10’ printed on it, and was followed by Joaquín Caparrós (in Bilbao forever ‘Jokin’), the coach who gave him his debut at the age of 16, his “brother” Iñaki Williams, and messages from former technicians such as Eduardo Berizzo, Gaizka Garitano or Marcelino García Toral.
Present was, along with his staff and coaching staff, Ernesto Valverde of which Muniain revealed a conversation in which Viandar de la Vera congratulated him for playing as many games as he has – so far 559 – especially “putting up” with him giving him orders.
The last penalty
During the event his career was reviewed, since he played his first friendly tournament in Biscay while he was still a child and had just arrived from Pamplona neighborhood of La Txantrea until the penalty he scored in the Cup final.
“It was one of the most difficult moments of my career. A very hard moment, a moment of a lot of pressure and a lot of fear. It was very hard,” he said of the maximum free kick he took in the shootout against the RCD Mallorca that decided the title.
Muniain also remembered how important it was in his career when he arrived in Bilbao your mentor Koldo Asua, already deceased and to whom he threw “a kiss” looking at the sky.
Applause for Bielsa
Another bad moment for Muniain was the defeat in the 2012 Europa League final in Bucharest against Atlético de Madrid. “I have never shed more tears than that day,” he revealed, remembering, on the other hand, the “soccer that everyone fell in love with” from the time of a Marcelo Bielsa for which he asked the stands for applause.
The former president Fernando García Macua, the former players Pablo Orbaiz, Carlos Gurpegui, Markel Susaeta, Joseba Etxeberria, Gorka Iraizoz or the actor Julian López, with whom he also spoke, are others who attended a farewell that ended like any game in San Mamés: with the players and the stands singing Mikel Laboa’s ‘Txoria Txori’ in unison and this time also with his teammates supporting the protagonist.
An Iker Muniain who assures that, even if he doesn’t continue, he won’t leave and that He was willing to return when the club considers it appropriate.. “If I’m ever needed, I’ll be here the next day to help” like she has done for 15 seasons, and several more in lower categories, and for the moment 559 games. The field player who has played the most matches for Athletic and the second after Iribar (614).
2024-05-13 20:18:50
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