While the curtains were being brought down on another amazing performance, the audience burst into applause at the end of Barcelona’s football show back in June.
Barca defeated Juventus, lifting the Champions League trophy and completing their second treble in the club’s history.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the north of Spain, a Basque scriptwriter was assiduously working on another script based on the same characters, albeit featuring a different protagonist.
Going through the scenario, at that point, the writer visualised the reincarnation of a modern football battle between David and Goliath. This time, however, David would go by the name of Aritz Aduriz and title of the script would include the word ‘revenge’.
The show took place, back in August 2015, in two parts. Aduriz scored a hat-trick in San Mames against the Catalan Goliath, leading his team to a remarkable 4-0 win over Barcelona.
The Basque managed to net another goal in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup and Athletic Bilbao lifted the trophy with a 5-1 aggregate scoreline.
Bilbao emphatically avenged their 3-1 Spanish Cup final defeat by Barcelona back in May and thousands of fans filled the streets of Bilbao, to perform an outstanding after-show standing ovation for the Basque cast. This was Bilbao’s first trophy since their domestic double back in 1984, when they managed to beat Barcelona 1-0 in the Cup final.
After his one-man show in the Super Cup finals, Aduriz earned the spotlight and managed to remain in there all the way through the season. In his mid-thirties the Basque striker refused to step back and begin eyeing retirement. He worked hard, took advantage of his experience and became the central figure of Ernesto Valverde’s football narrative.
Under his current manager he achieved two of the most productive seasons of his career, scoring 75 goals and providing his teammates with 28 assists in 132 games.
Valverde praised his striker’s performances back in November.
“We are very fortunate to have him in the team,” Valverde said. “For every year that passes he gets better.
“He has great belief in his ability, provides a fantastic outlet and is a treasure for us.”
Shortly after Bilbao’s qualification for the quarter finals of the Europa League, achieved by Aduriz’s away goal in Mestalla, Valverde could not hide his enthusiasm for the Basque striker.
“He’s scored and that’s great for us, he is our killer. I always trust that he will appear on the bad days.”
Aduriz has been Europa League’s top scorer so far this season, marking nine of Bilbao’s 20 goals in ten games. His overall contribution to Bilbao’s game, however, has been of an exceptional standard.
According to squwaka.com the Basque ‘goleador’, has won 64 duels in nine games, more than any other striker in the Europa League this season. Moreover, he has created 16 chances for Bilbao, providing three assists and 13 key passes for his teammates.
As Luis Enrique aptly noted back in January, however, the main reason why “Aduriz is key for Athletic” is “because of his aerial prowess”.
The statistics seem to prove Barcelona manager’s remark, as Aduriz has won 133 aerial duels in 29 games, more than any other player – in any position – featuring in La Liga. Alike outside the Spanish borders, the Basque’s domestic performances have been outstanding as well.
‘El Zorro’ has been directly involved in 22 out of his team’s 48 goals so far this season, scoring 17 and providing his teammates with five assists.
Aduriz attributed his scoring strike-rate to his teammates’ contribution, humbly saying that “the number of goals I’ve scored has been made possible by having an incredible team around you, who make things easier for you”.
His performances have attracted the world of football, simultaneously drawing the Spanish national team manager’s attention. Fans and local media heavily insisted on Aduriz’ return to the national squad, after his only appearance for ‘La Furia Roja’ back in 2010.
Featuring in Del Bosque’s list for Euro 2016 and assisting his team’s efforts to lift the trophy, is a scenario already written in the back of his head. After his last show on Thursday, along with the news that Bilbao will face the Europa League ‘masters’ Sevilla in the quarter finals, Aduriz received his call-up for Spain’s friendlies against Italy and Romania.
Del Bosque added his name to the long list of Aduriz football skills’ admirers.
In his last interview with Marca, the Spanish manager described Aduriz as “the prototype of what should be a centre forward”, adding that “when everyone says he has to go (to France), we won’t ignore him up just to prove a point”.
Somewhere up (in the Spanish) north, a smile of joy and satisfaction lit up the scriptwriter’s face.
When, in the aftermath of winning the Super Cup, Aduriz claimed that “if you wrote a script it would be impossible for it to go this well”, he didn’t unveil his well-hidden secret.
The mysterious ghostwriter is him himself, the head of the cast is Ernesto Valverde, the audience are the football fans all over the world – with Bilbao fans occupying the first seats – and the protagonist is no one else but Aduriz.
Speaking at a promotional event in December, ‘El Zorro’ stated that he feels again “like a kid”.
“I’m enjoying my football a lot, much more than I did for a while,” Aduriz admitted.
“There is much pressure which has to be embraced over time in professional football and sometimes it’s difficult.
“I feel like a kid when I’m playing and training.”
At the age of 35, Aduriz seems to have discovered the elixir of youth.
Athletic Bilbao seek his assistance in order to climb up the La Liga ladder and make the most out of the Europa League competition. At the same time the Spanish football audience see him as an important part of their national team’s cast in Euro 2016.
Fortunately, he only has to do what he does best – dip his pen in the ink and write the scripts of some of his last performances in the world football scene.
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