[Iribar]

Tiko is sanctioned, Llorente and Arriaga don´t travel.

The list:

Lafuente, Aranzubia.

Iraola, Javi González, Murillo, Luis Prieto, Karanka, Casas, Del Horno.

Gurpegi, Orbaiz, Bordas, Solabarrieta, Guerrero, Yeste.

Etxeberria, Ezquerro, Urzaiz.


A lot of cold expected, I don´t think the 5000 Athletic supporters expected will suffer it much though, I´m sure there will be a sea of kalimotxo. Let´s see if we can bring a win from Austria.

I suppose we´ll play a 4-4-2 with Ezquerro and Etxebe in attack, probably Casas will play instead of Del Horno as happened in Riazor, we´ll see who takes Tiko´s position in midfield to partner Orbaiz since Gurpegi has always played as defender with this system. It will also be interesting to see who´s our goalie, Valverde only confirmed Lafuente for the group stage.

 

[Knoert]

5000 fans? That's quite a lot!!! Are you travelling as well Txupa? Or anyone else?

Ans why aren't Llorente and Arriaga travelling? Are they off the European list or something like that?

 

[Alexx]

...now they are starting to flock in. I particularly like the old geezers.....

 

[Alexx]

A lot of cold expected

Actually a real lot of snowfall expected on the matchday. Media tells your guys are expert on deep and wet pitches. We're not, frankly....

 

[Iribar]

5000 fans? That's quite a lot!!! Are you travelling as well Txupa? Or anyone else?

Ans why aren't Llorente and Arriaga travelling? Are they off the European list or something like that?

I´m not going, I have an exam tomorrow. The number of fans depends on the source, on MARCA it says 5000, on ETB 4000, my impresion is that they have around 3500 sure and the rest depends on the people who travel with other agencies appart from the club one and foreign Athletic supporters. But well, any of them is a good number. Probably there will be less people than expected due to weather conditions, I know people who were going and they´ve decided not to go, even more taking in mind it isn´t sure the game is going to be played due to the snow, they won´t decide it until tomorrow.

Arriaga doesn´t go because he doesn´t deserve it, simply as that. Llorente doesn´t go because I think we´ll play a 4-4-2 with Etxebe-Ezquerro up front and it would be stupid to have 2 similar players (Urzaiz, Llorente) in the bench, that´s why I suppose Valverde only brings one of them.

Actually a real lot of snowfall expected on the matchday. Media tells your guys are expert on deep and wet pitches. We're not, frankly....

That´s more something historical than our present days, our players are more technical than what they used to be. Our pitch is in bad condition lately due to the rain, so they are used, but that doesn´t mean it favours them, as has been shown in our last games home. Technical players as Ezquerro play bad under this conditions.

But well, as long as it´s only wet there´s no problem. The problem is, as Etxeberria pointed out this afternoon, if the pitch is freezed, that´s too risky, and apparently they´re going to play under those conditions.

 

[Knoert]

Hey I've got the same scarf as the women on the left

Ontopic again ...

Not very good news about the expected snow and poor pitch, this should be in Austria's advantage... :thmbdown:

Oh, and keep me up to date with those pictures of our fans on tour, I love it :thumbsup: !!!

Aupa Athletic!!!

EDIT: was just looking at the pictures from El Correo Digital... the situation looks really bad -->

Nice Yeste banner:

Nice girls

Also nice to see the invasion at Vienna airport :thumbsup:

A true fan :

Just like this one

Hmm, now I've got good feelings about the game, I can't wait anymore .

 

[Knoert]

Oh, and about this -->

The Austrians didn't really listen ...

From their site:
- Alle Infos vor dem BILBAO-Spiel (15.02.2005; 10:18)
- Austrianer gesucht, die gegen Bilbao-Fans kicken (15.02.2005; 10:35)
- Unglaubliches Bilbao - von 0:3 auf 4:4 (14.02.2005; 10:10)

 

[Alexx]

Nice pics...

As for deep pitch in our advantage, well, not really, actually not at all. But the main factor is we come out straight of the winter break, no real game for 2 month, that will be the decisive factor, I suppose. If they play despite the still going on snowfall, I expect a boring experience. We will rely on our defense, Athletic probably will wait too. So the waiting could go on for 90 minutes. However, due to pitch conditions, things could happen which normally wouldn't happen. As much as I see from the recent results, the Athletic offense is better than defense, in Austria Wien it's the other way round.

 

[Iribar]

We still don´t know if the game it´s going to be played. It should have been decided at 10:30 but the pitch was completely covered with snow, Austria workers said they will clean it for the game hour taking in mind the weather predictions said it was going to stop snowing at 13:00. The referee and the clubs have decided to see the pitch again at 15:30 and decide, apparently it continues snowing in Vienna so we don´t know what will happen.

An option mentioned by the UEFA ref is to change the game for tomorrow. In that case Lamikiz has said Athletic won´t be on Saturday in Bernabeu no matter who says it, "if Madrid has CL we have UEFA". Remember the game against Madrid is on Saturday because they have CL on Tuesday.
http://www.canalathletic.com/portal/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=2121&Itemid=0

more pics in the official page...
http://www.athletic-club.net/ampliar.asp?noticia=2796&foto=9&idi=1#fotos

 

[Alexx]

Indeed going on snowfall, in recent 30 minutes more getting stronger than lighter and the thick sky confirmes the guess of increasing snowfall down the day. So the 3.30 decision will be pretty useless, if they decide to play. 5 hours later it could be another 10 cm of snow.

Seems like Athletic officials just like me want the game toinight, as a delay would ruin their and my plans for the forthcoming days. And I remember, after the UEFA group stage was finished, I was thinking like "Oh, UEFA in spring, how nice". Well, February is not really spring, particularly in Austria....

 

[Alexx]

An option mentioned by the UEFA ref is to change the game for tomorrow

The weather forcast is not exactly what I see, but it tells snowfall should stop during afternoon and even some sun should come out....and then tomorrow afternoon snowfall will increase again. So if they decide on that, they will play today. Could be they decide on reality and not forcast.

 

[Alexx]

Don't know if this is updated via this link, but that's
Webcam from the stadium area.

 

[inigo]

Nice one Alexx.

Personally, I think it'd be better to play tonight, but only if it's possible to play football at all. It'd be a pain for the 4000-5000 supporters, for Austria, and for Athletic. Having to re-schedule would be a bad idea for us, since we're playing Madrid on Saturday and there wouldn't be so many days available...

Whatever happens, AUPA ATHLETIC!!!!!

 

[Alexx]

Similar thing with us, we have the highly important game against onee, if not THE main rival for the league title on sunday.

It actually stopped snowing for now.

 

[Alexx]

Txupa, from the group of pics you gave above. Here's one where you can see this guy (in the background) in the gear of the green-white jokes, the behated city rivals of ours. He has to do the snow work for us, he he...

 

[Alexx]

LATEST: Austria Wien press office tells about Athletic officials changing their minds and wanting the game called off. UEFA tells about deciding around 5 pm.

 

[Iribar]

Rapid no? I hope he cleans it well and doesn´t let ice on purpose.


According to the official page now they´ve decided to wait until 18:00 to make a final decission. In normal conditions it shouldn´t be played, it´s very risky and the players can´t concentrate on the game if they don´t know if they will play or not 2 hours before the start... On the other hand Athletic is already in Vienna, it´s very difficult to find another date and there are 5,000 Athletic supporters in the city...

mmm difficult decission.

 

[Alexx]

It is said the Athletic players are not too keen to play today. It is said the ref from Israel will not decide anything before 17.00 (25 minutes after this post, I guess all given times are local times.... ). Probably the real decision will be made after the ref, by UEFA. Athletic looks like in talks with UEFA. However, if the weather forcast is right, the now indeed stopped snowfall will restart tomorrrow afternoon. Austria Wien tells they want to play and the pitch as well as parking facilities and all that are clean. And the pitch can't be frozen, the main concern of Athletic. However, temperature should drop to -2/-3 at night, but no new snow.

 

[Alexx]

And a backstage detail: that announced "final check at 15.30" could not get performed on time, as the ref was sleeping (!!) in his hotel room.

 

[Knoert]

Should be very poor for all Athletic-fans if the game has to be rescheduled I reckon... they've all booked already their flights back, hotel etc etc.

Good statement by Lamikiz, if the game should be played tomorrow, we won't play Madrid on Saturday! I agree!

We can only wait now... better shut my mouth about the ref :thmbdown: .