Sergio Navarro and Mikel Gonzalez take over at Lezama

Athletic Club is now working under a new project which includes two fundamental pieces: Sergio Navarro, who has been appointed director of Lezama and Mikel González, head of youth development and loans. Both have extensive experience in youth and professional football.

Huelva-born Sergio Navarro is the new academy director at Lezama. With extensive experience in technical departments, Sergio implemented his training manual at the Rubin Kazan Academy (2011-2013) and subsequently became the academy director at Villarreal (2014-2017), developing one of the best youth set-ups in LaLiga.

As a coach, his work with Paco López at Levante (2018-2021) stands out. It was Navarro’s responsibility to oversee the individual development of each player, in a project that gained recognition for its innovative commitment to bringing the methodology of youth training to the professional elite.

Mikel González will be responsible for the development of Lezama’s youth players in professional football. Together with Lezama’s coaches, he will help define clear pathways for progression within the structure, participating in the preparation of squads and planning the development of our best young players. This will include the co-ordination and supervision of players who have been loaned out to ensure the deal is worthwhile and the footballer’s growth.

Mikel has a vast knowledge of Basque football, both at a youth and executive level. It is this dual approach which makes him ideal for this new role at the club. While he was finishing his architecture studies in Valencia, he spent time in the scouting department at Levante, he was then responsible for Eibar’s youth football (2014-17) before going on to head up Deportivo Alavés’ youth system (2017-2019), where he became the assistant director of football, a position in which he worked until he joined Athletic Club in July 2022.

At Alavés, he also combined his duties as assistant director of football with the management of NK Istra 1961, a Croatian club attached to Alavés, where he did a great job of building very young squads (becoming runners-up in the Croatian Cup) and increasing the value of their players. Even making the most expensive sale of a Croatian U-16 player in history: Roko Zivkovic to Red Bull Salzburg.

These are two figures that make up a team fully motivated to enhance the development of our young talents.