2019. The best moments: Men’s team

Ibai Gómez’s return home was one of the first news brought to us by the new year. Athletic came from getting three points in Vigo that were essential to escape from relegation positions. Shortly after, the agreement with the Bilbao player and Deportivo Alavés was announced. Ibai signed his return in San Mamés, with a contract until 2022 and with an indelible bond where there was no amount due to the termination clause.

With the 19 in the back a new Ibai was presented, more reinforced by the experience accumulated as a footballer in Vitoria. An experience to add to the 145 matches he had already played in his early days as a red-and-white and that allowed Gaizka Garitano and Patxi Ferreira to have a quality asset to baste the attacking game of the team.

The arrival of Ibai coincided with the double Cup and League duel against Sevilla marked in part by the outstanding performance of a Iñaki Williams who scored two important goals beautifully done. Athletic chained for the first time in the season two consecutive matches winning that served to finish the first round with more air in the lungs and a positive trend unknown until then. Iñaki was going to be a key figure to understand the rebirth of the team that left reinforced the hard calendar of January. Three victories and a draw were crowned by the appointment of the Bilbao striker as the best player of the month in LaLiga.

The second leg match against Sevilla also allowed to celebrate the 500 official matches of Markel Susaeta as Athletic player. A round and special number that allows the Eibar footballer to enter a select club where only four other players -Iribar, Rojo, Etxeberria and Iraola- can boast about it. A mirror in which to look at the present generations… and the coming ones. In Lezama he wore a good part of his achieved legacy since he debuted one day in September 2007 and in San Mamés he received a legendary tribute in the run-up to the match against Betis.

The closing of the winter market coincided with the arrival of the last reinforcement for the second round, Kenan Kodro. The football player from Donostia arrived to reinforce Athletic’s attack. Coming from the Danish Kobenhavn, signed until 2022 with a clause of 80 million. In a week was already within the plans of Gaizka Garitano who made his debut in the last minutes of the important match against Barcelona in San Mamés.

The three consecutive matches won against Atletico, Girona and Levante reinforced the continental goal for the final stretch of the season. Time in turn to start thinking about the configuration of the following season. It began in April with the revision of Unai Simon’s contract, which maintained its link with the Club until 2023 by increasing its clause to 50 million. Then it was the turn of Gaizka Garitano who, together with the president Aitor Elizegi and the sports director Rafa Alkorta, presented the agreement of renewal for the next campaign. One more year together with Patxi Ferreira, Juan Iribarren and Aitor Iru to give continuity to the work started six months ago.

There has also been a turn for the farewells. Confirmed the losses of Rico and Iturraspe and the departure of Susaeta who chose not to listen to the offer of renewal of the Club, the last match in San Mamés against Celta allowed us to live a unique moment with unanimous recognition for three protagonists without which it is not possible to explain many of the great moments that we have been lived in recent seasons. An emotional and emphatic farewell, with feelings on the surface.

The wheel of the football, so logical, habitual and even necessary in the Athletic, always looking for that point of balance between the veteran and the new blood. The confirmation of the jump to the first team of Gaizka Larrazabal, the son of a historic as Aitor, after having completed a remarkable season in Bilbao Athletic. A similar path and already known in some way for him as the one signed last May Asier Villalibre, to which the 23 goals obtained in Bilbao Athletic endorse his initial bet to go back to the second team to get new momentum. The goal and an immeasurable desire are also an indispensable part to understand the decision of Aritz Aduriz to continue one more season wearing the 20 at his back. The gallons remain and the striker from San Sebastian wanted to remove the bitter taste of a year marked by injuries, giving himself a new opportunity.