Valverde renews contract to bring up decade as Athletic Club head coach
Valverde renews contract to bring up decade as Athletic Club head coach
After a fantastic season, the club's number one coach in terms of matches managed (451 fixtures), will lead the team on their return to the Champions League
Ernesto Valverde's legend at Athletic Club continues to grow. The current head coach has accepted the challenge of managing the men's first team for a tenth year.
This means Ernesto, the last manager to take Athletic into the Champions League, will lead the squad on their return to Europe’s top competition, an achievement which came as the result of an unforgettable 2024/25 campaign in which Athletic finished fourth in LaLiga - also granting qualification to next season's Spanish Super Cup - and made a sensational run to the Europa League semi-finals.
His new one-year agreement, which runs until 30 June 2026, was signed on Friday afternoon at San Mames alongside club president Jon Uriarte and director of football Mikel González.
“It's an important challenge,” he said. "I feel a responsibility here, with the team, with the people who work here. When we all push together we're a strong team, we're going to see how far we can go. We have to keep competing, which is what Athletic always do well.
"The Champions League is immensely exciting. It's a very tough competition and I hope we all enjoy it. It's another level that we have to rise to."
González added that it was an "honour to walk this path with Valverde, a coach who's not only made history with his results, but has helped us grow as a club".
He continued: "He's a true legend and deserves recognition from all of San Mames. His numbers are amazing. We're the team with least goals conceded in LaLiga, with the fewest defeats. He's given space to the whole squad in a season with 54 games without losing performance. He always knows how to hit the right key at any given moment."
The head coach with most matches under his belt in Athletic Club history, Valverde is on course to reach 500 official games in the Zurigorri dugout next season, with the 38 LaLiga fixtures added to matches in the Champions League, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup taking him towards that tally.
It’s a figure that says a lot about Ernesto's importance to Athletic. Along with last season's Copa triumph, Valverde has now spent 21 years at San Mames between his various spells here as a footballer and coach.
Ernesto Valverde will discuss his contract renewal at a press conference at Lezama on Saturday (13:00 CEST) prior to Sunday's match against FC Barcelona.