Raúl García, midfielder and captain of Athletic Bilbao before the semifinal of the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) on Thursday (8:00 pm) against Atlético de Madrid: “Play the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia? It is very clear to me, that does not make sense. It’s simple, we are playing a tournament that is unique in our country, and obviously I think that going abroad to play it does not make sense. Not much to add. […] Without wanting to stir up controversy, for me the main thing is that it doesn’t make sense to go there and play games that I think should be in Spain.

I’m from the old school and I see that football has changed, in the sense that no one cares about the fans anymore. What matters now is generating money, attracting sponsors. I think we are forgetting the basics of football, that environment that makes games different, that the fans like to watch a game as a family, that the schedules are as accessible as possible for everyone. I am not saying, it is so. It’s my job (Play football), I dedicate myself to it thoroughly, but the truth is that since I started it has changed a lot and it makes me sad, I am not going to lie to you. “