This Wednesday at 9 p.m. (CET), Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) will face Athletic Bilbao (27th) at San Mamés Stadium for Matchday 6 of the 2025–2026 Champions League. In a press conference, Spanish coach Ernesto Valverde spoke about the match and the Parisian opponent. He wants to ignite the stadium and show a united spirit.
Valverde: “We are like Asterix, but we don’t have the magic potion!”
“We are like Asterix, but we don’t have the magic potion! We are a team with players from here. We have this strong identity with the players — it’s part of our DNA. It’s a miracle, but we’re going to keep fighting.
It’s a key match for us. We have very few points (27th in the standings, 4 points), and we need them. It will be a tough, beautiful, interesting match. We will have to be up to the task. It’s a vital match. If we win it, it will be an important step. Same thing if we lose. They are the favourites, but we are Athletic Club — anything is possible.”
Valverde: “We have to try to play in a united way.”
“It’s a physical, technical team. Their midfielders (those of PSG) have incredible mobility; it’s difficult to keep up for 90 minutes. It’s a consistent side, with great potential. But matches still have to be played. We have to try to play in a united way.”
Ernesto Valverde, faithful to Athletic’s deep-rooted identity, reminded everyone that his team remains an anomaly in modern football: a club that only recruits players from the Basque Country, which turns every European campaign into a near-mythical challenge. His reference to Asterix is no coincidence — it perfectly sums up the spirit of a group he describes as limited in resources but unshakeable in its conviction.
Against Paris Saint-Germain, whose technical power and especially midfield mobility he emphasised, Valverde knows the difference in potential is real. Yet his speech is more a call to passion than a fatalistic assessment. He even frames the match as a turning point in the season: a victory would revive Bilbao, while a defeat would weigh heavily. In a roaring San Mamés, the central idea remains solidarity — the only weapon he identifies to withstand the challenge
