Valverde: “We have shaken off the gloom of the past year”
Valverde: “We have shaken off the gloom of the past year”
The Athletic Club head coach, who will manage his 500th LaLiga fixture in our match against Sevilla, paid tribute to his late friend Jonan Ordorika and praised his team's form while warning "the season is a long-distance race"
With Thursday's match at the Sánchez-Pizjuán, Ernesto Valverde will reach the incredible milestone of 500 LaLiga matches as a manager, 250 of those fixtures coming in the Athletic Club dugout.
While speaking to Club media about the feat and the first half of this campaign, Ernesto remembered his good friend Jonan Ordorika, a renowned music producer, who passed away on August 7, just a week before the current season started.
Txingurri praised the Lions' progress, but refused to get ahead of himself. "LaLiga is a long-distance race," he warns from the vantage point of 35 points and fifth place after suffering only three losses so far in 2023/24.
However, he is pleased that the team has "shaken off the gloom of the past year" and believes they now have a better mentality when things are not going perfect.
"We always give a good account of ourselves. At the beginning of the season, we said our home form would be vital," he said. "It's essential to be strong at San Mames, we never give up and the fans are picking up on that."
What's more, Valverde has been able to bring through several academy products in this first half of the season, with Unai Gómez, Mikel Jauregizar and Unai Egiluz all getting a first taste of senior football, while Imanol García de Albeniz and Beñat Prados have now made top-flight debuts.
He said: "It's vital those youngsters are in the first-team dynamic and they gradually establish themselves. It's not easy. At the same time as getting used to the level and that pressure, they must also perform well and show their quality when called upon.
"Athletic will always provide a route for players coming up from below, but they have to walk that path themselves."
With Iñaki Williams heading to the Africa Cup of Nations and at least five matches in January, starting with two away trips in the first week, against Sevilla FC in LaLiga on the 4th and a Copa clash versus SD Eibar on the 7th, the Zurigorri coach will be looking to draw from the squad's strength in depth.
"We have a big squad and the lads coming in when we've got injuries are responding and performing to a high level," he said.
"It's the same for when Iñaki leaves. Obviously he's an important player, but we can't be worrying about who isn't here, rather we have to look at who is available and go from there. We need to be able to count on the entire squad."
Ernesto ended the interview by paying tribute to the late Jonan Ordorika, his "great friend" and a massive Athleticzale, saying: "I want not only to dedicate to him this match in Seville, my 500th, but all my matches. From my first day until now he's always been there with me."