Joseba Etxeberria: “The core of the first team must be Lezama”

He has a long month left to get on his boots and go out to the pitch with his new role, but if he were he would start today with his new role. “I hope that the holidays will pass quickly”, said Joseba Etxeberria, who has presented himself this Wednesday in Lezama as the new coach of Bilbao Athletic and with the same enthusiasm, eagerness and determination with which he showed his great talents as a player. Signs of identity that remain indelible in his football DNA and is willing to move his lion cubs from now on.

The one from Elgoibar was explaining his particular football catechism: “I believe a lot in training, then these things are reflected in the competition. I like that my teams to be fast and intense, that the player feels demanded, that he knows that if his level goes down, another one will come in his place. A recipe that suits modern football, where times are evolving: “In competition you must have that point of confidence and daring, is what you’re going to ask elite football, because today ask athletes who play very well. In my time it was different, now we have to help them but they feel very demanding, because in professional football there is no time to relax.

From now on, Etxebe will have in his hands a filial team where the double relation formation-competition will always come to light, although in this case the main task of forging footballers for the First Division will continue to be essential: “The core of the first team must be in Lezama, with the best resources and help to make room for them. Everyone has their own process, some are already more done despite what their ID says and others need more time to settle. It is necessary to help them to be more complete players, that within the deficiencies that they have, to try to improve so that they are more made, without forgetting that they continue doing well the things they do well”.

He knows many of the players he will have at his disposal, players of the generation of 1999, 2000 and even 2001 who already passed through his hands in his first period on the bench in Lezama’s youth categories: “I don’t set a goal at the qualifying level, but I don’t give up anything either. The level of players we’re going to have is very high, hopefully we can be as high as possible, hopefully we’ll play in the playoffs and if we go up much better, but first we’re going to go day by day.