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Eighteen of the 22 players who started were Basques, many of them in the quarries of the club they now represent, including Oyarzabal, who was born in Gipuzkoa and joined Real Sociedad’s ‘Zubieta’ in his teens.
The final had been postponed as long as possible in hopes that fans would be able to attend, but instead took place nearly 1,000 kilometers south of Seville, where some 350 guests and journalists were allowed in, but the stands they were left empty.
Problems in Bilbao
Excitement overflowed in Bilbao, where the police had attended to the riots early in the evening. Large crowds of Athletic fans gathered near the team’s San Mamés stadium, some threw bottles and flares, while many ignored the rules on social distancing.
“Some crazy people cause problems before the final,” wrote the mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto. “They do not represent the values of our Atlético or our city. Please, a little sanity and let us enjoy.”
There was little at La Cartuja that felt like home for these two teams, except perhaps the weather, given that the first 20 minutes were played in pouring rain.
