Terzic and Athletic’s goalkeeping spot: question over Copa rotation

Edin Terzic, Athletic’s manager, faces a clear question ahead of the first Copa eliminations: whether he will rotate the goalkeeper and give Padilla the chance in the competition.

There’s no solid pattern to lean on. At Athletic, working with the Bilbao Athletic goalkeeping options isn’t new, but this season Padilla hasn’t yet made his debut wearing the rojiblanco shirt. In the recent past, Julen Agirrezabala played the full Copa run in 2023-24 (the one they won) and also appeared in the Cup and Europa League the following season, while Padilla featured in the previous campaign’s knockout tournament.

As Mundo Deportivo points out, the goalkeeping switches Terzic made at Dortmund were driven by injuries rather than a set rotation plan, so the Copa approach may depend on how the first two matches against lower-category opponents fit before the spot reverts to Unai Simón.