Following Athletic Bilbao's loss to Arsenal in the match that took place at San Mamés Stadium as part of the first round of the Champions League group stage, Athletic Bilbao's head coach, Ernesto Valverde, expressed his satisfaction with his team's performance despite the negative result.

Valverde said: "It was a fairly balanced match; we knew that the opponent was very strong in one-on-one situations, which is something we worked on. We tried to press them up front; it was a tense match with inconsistent play, focusing on taking advantage of the opportunities we had. We fell into the trap during Martinelli's attack, and the goal affected us a lot; they have strength, and we felt fatigued."

He added: "We were clear on the pitch, as we know ourselves, and it was unfortunate not to deliver a win for the fans after this wonderful atmosphere. Of course, luck needs to be on your side, and I think we tried that, but this is the Champions League."

He continued: "We are at the highest level of competition and must accept it as it is. The most important thing is to face this type of team and play at a balanced level against them. Today, they were more precise, but we performed wonderfully."

Regarding the team's recovery after the previous league loss, Valverde said: "The most important thing for me after that loss was to rediscover ourselves and regain our style of play. This will develop as the matches go on. Today, we saw a well-known and strong team; with this fan support, it is impossible not to give our all to win. We stood up to them with all our strength; I am satisfied with everything except the result."

Valverde also praised the team's midfielder Mikel Jorgeza, saying: "He has become a key player in less than a year; his potential was clear to us, and now he exceeds all our expectations. He excels in one-on-one situations and is hard to surpass; he is an important element for Athletic and his future."

He added about Unai Gomez's injury: "He suffers from a deep cut in his eyebrow, and the injury was somewhat impactful."