Marcelino’s story at Athletic revolves around the four finals played in these months. Still, it can be completed with some very striking and meritorious data. After the victory in Vallecas (Rayo’s first defeat at home this season), the ‘Adurizpedia TM’ Twitter account published as follows:
“Marcelino is the coach in the entire history of Athletic who has lost the fewest away games. Only five defeats in twenty-seven games.
He is the first coach to win more games away than he loses (9-5) in the last six decades.”
Marcelino es el entrenador de toda la historia del Athletic que menos partidos como visitante pierde. Sólo cinco derrotas en veintisiete desplazamientos.
— Adurizpedia™️ (@DatAthle) January 24, 2022
En las ultimas seis décadas es el primer mister que gana fuera más partidos que los que pierde (9-5).#AthleticClub pic.twitter.com/2ewvRwTGK4
The coach himself wanted to stress out his team performances away from home after the victory against Rayo, who had not yet lost a single game at home throughout the season. “We have taken seven points out of nine in the last three outings on complicated stadiums. This victory brings us closer to the top of the table. We are pleased with this hard-fought and tough victory, and we have to enjoy these moments that are good for Athletic”.
In this 2021/22 season, among all competitions, Athletic has five wins as a visitor, eight draws and only one defeat (at the Santiago Bernabéu, in a duel in which Courtois was the protagonist). If we focus on LaLiga, we find a convincing statistic. Never in the entity’s history, after 12 away games, had Athletic lost only one game (the previous record of two defeats out of 12 games, dating from the 1969/70 season).
A fact that places Athletic in the European elite
Outside San Mamés, Athletic Club has only received five goals in the domestic competition. Of the five major European leagues, only we find cases at that level in France. Nice, and Olympique de Marseille also conceded five goals on the road. At the same time, the continent’s strongest teams have worsened that figure. Real Madrid (12 goals), Bayern (11), Manchester City (8) or PSG (12) have received more, and in some cases, in fewer games than the Basque club.
This 17 points that Athletic has achieved as a visitor puts Marcelino’s squad in fourth place in LaLiga (only Real Madrid, Betis and Sevilla are ahead). In the absence of acquiring greater solidity in San Mamés, Los Leones can try for the places that give access to European competitions.
