Marcelino steps down as Athletic Club head coach

Marcelino García Toral has confirmed he will be leaving his position as Athletic Club head coach once his contract expires at the end of June.

The 56-year-old made the announcement in an emotional press conference at San Mamés which was also attended by his coaching staff, Aitor Elizegi, member of the interim managing board, director of sport Rafa Alkorta, former player Jose Angel Iribar, and first-team captain Iker Muniain, who was there on behalf of the squad.

The Asturias-born coach, who arrived in Bilbao on January 3, 2021, replacing Gaizka Garitano, will go down in history for guiding Athletic Club to their third Spanish Super Cup trophy, a feat he achieved in record time, having been in charge for just two weeks. Athletic lifted the trophy after beating Real Madrid in the semi-finals before defeating FC Barcelona 3-2 in the decider.

Beyond transforming the team and his commitment to young players, Marcelino leaves with a superb record in knockout competitions.

He led the Lions to the Copa final last year after knocking out Levante UD in the semi-finals, while this season Athletic managed memorable wins over FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at San Mamés en route to the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Valencia CF across two legs.

The 2022 Spanish Super Cup in Riyadh saw Los Rojiblancos produce another great performance, coming from behind to beat Atlético in the semi-finals before falling to defeat against Real Madrid in the final.

The most bitter blows came in the Copa finals against Real Sociedad – a match Marcelino inherited from the fine work of his predecessor Gaizka Garitano – and FC Barcelona.

But above all, the biggest frustration came from not being able to play these matches in front of Athletic fans, something that could have happened if they had beaten Valencia.