Muniain: “We will build a competitive and winning Athletic”

Athletic Club captain Iker Muniain is confident the Lions will be an ambitious and successful side under new manager Ernesto Valverde.

The 2022/23 season is now underway, with the first team having completed a first pre-season training session in the presence of a large crowd at Lezama.

“We’re very happy Ernesto here. He’s a top coach who knows the club very well, he was with us for many years and we were able to achieve some great things,” Iker said at a press conference.

“Between all of us we’re going to try to build a competitive and winning Athletic. Ernesto is still the same loving and close person who cares about the players.

“We played four times in the Europa League, once in the Champions League and we won a Spanish Super Cup. When he decided to step aside to take on another experience, we were sad because we were doing very well.

“Football and life are very unpredictable and fate has meant that we can work together again. From the squad he had then to the one he has today, much has changed. I think that is an incentive that also motivates him. He sees there are young players who are coming on strong, those of us who have already been with him know him and he is going to demand as much from us as anyone else.

“In terms of football, we’re going to see what happens because today is the first training session. I’m sure that, like everyone else, he has been gaining experience that has helped him to continue to grow. He has coached one of the best clubs in the world, FC Barcelona. There is always time to learn and improve. We hope that, little by little, things will work out and we’ll enjoy ourselves.”

Iker also had words of praise for Athletic’s outgoing board and president, thanking them for their work over recent years.

“I want to pay tribute to Aitor Elizegi and his board for the last four years. I also want to thank Marcelino for the fantastic year and a half we had together,” Athletic’s captain said.

“I would of course like to welcome the new president Jon Uriarte and his team and with them Ernesto Valverde. I believe that a new era of renewal is upon us with a lot of ambition, expectation and enthusiasm. They have the full backing of those of us who make up Athletic, and we hope these will be fantastic years and we can have some great experiences.”

As for the new season, the no.10 was clear on what Athletic should be targeting.

“We always say that we must be as ambitious as possible,” he added. “In the league, we’ve been outside of the European places for a few years now, and in the Copa we’ve shown we can always get towards the latter stages.

“A magnificent season has started and we’re optimistic. You come to Lezama and, despite having been here for many years, you always see the excitement in the crowd. Everything motivates me. The best is that there are still youngsters coming to do the pre-season.

“If we all set out to improve on what we’ve done before, we’ll definitely grow as a team, and that what is required of us.”