Bilbao coach Valverde faces daunting final against Barca

By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA (Reuters) - Athletic Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde says he is facing one of the toughest tasks of his career as he looks to mastermind victory over La Liga champions Barcelona in the King's Cup final on Saturday. The Basque side ended the season well, their seventh-place finish in La Liga earning them a slot in the Europa League, but they will have a tricky job against the Champions League finalists. Bilbao lost both La Liga matches against Barca but they have performed creditably in the cup in recent seasons. This is their third final in seven years, they lost the previous two against the Catalan giants, although Bilbao beat Barca the last time they lifted the trophy in 1984. "This is possibly the most difficult challenge of my career but you never know how things will go," Valverde told a news conference on Friday. "If it isn't my most difficult challenge then it is certainly one of them particularly with the way Barcelona are playing at the moment." Former World Player of the Year Lionel Messi has been brilliant in the second half of the season and will look to add to the 56 goals he has scored in all competitions this term. "When he is in form it is difficult to stop him but we will do what we can," said Valverde. "Everyone knows what he can do. What can I say that people don’t see each week on the pitch. He is a player that rises to the big occasions and doesn’t go unnoticed in finals. "They also have other players like Neymar and (Luis Suarez) but ... we will have chances. Clearly Barca are looking to win a double or a treble ... while for us it would be something unique." (Editing by Tony Jimenez)