Valverde further cements his Athletic legacy: 500 games in the dugout

Ernesto Valverde, a living legend at Athletic Club, will take charge of his 500th official match as the Rojiblancos’ manager this Saturday against Deportivo Alavés at Mendizorrotza.

No other head coach has been in the Zurigorri dugout for more matches and Valverde continues to cement his place in the club’s history as he prepares to step down at the end of the season. Behind Ernesto in the rankings for most matches as head coach are Javier Clemente (289), Juan Urquizu (235) and Joaquín Caparrós (187).

With Saturday's fixture against Alavés, Valverde will have managed Athletic in 376 La Liga matches, 56 Copa del Rey matches, 48 Europa League matches, 16 Champions League matches and four Spanish Super Cup matches. In total, he has so far recorded 229 wins, 157 defeats and 113 draws.

During his ten years at the helm, Valverde has enjoyed a career brimming with successes, including two trophies: the 2015/16 Spanish Super Cup and the 2023/24 Copa, the latter allowing the Athleticzale family to see La Gabarra for the first time in 40 years.

Furthermore, with this season still to finish, 'Txingurri' has guided Athletic into European competition on eight occasions: twice in the Champions League, five times in the Europa League – where they reached the semi-finals last season – and once in the Intertoto Cup. 

In addition to his outstanding coaching career, Ernesto also enjoyed a successful playing career at Athletic, one which spanned six seasons between 1990 and 1996, and included 188 appearances plus 50 goals.
 

Three spells as Athletic head coach

Ernesto Valverde’s time as Athletic Club manager consists of three different spells that account for much of the club’s recent history.

These three stints, characterised by consistency, success and a special bond with the fans, have made the Vitoria-born coach a major figure at Athletic. 

In his first spell, between 2003 and 2005, Valverde guided the team to UEFA Cup qualification after finishing fifth in La Liga with 57 points.

During his second spell as head coach (2013–2017), he led Athletic to their second Spanish Super Cup, ending a 31-year trophy drought, and he also steered the team to the Champions League for the first time in 15 years.

Furthermore, he became the only coach to ever lead Athletic both at the old San Mamés stadium, which closed in 2013, and at the new San Mamés. 

In 2022, he returned to the dugout to begin his third spell in charge of the team, ending our 40-year wait for a Copa trophy, which was celebrated in style on Bilbao's River Nervión aboard La Gabarra.

Ernesto also led Athletic back to European competition after a six-year absence, taking the team to the 2024/25 Europa League semi-finals and securing a place in the 2025/26 Champions League.

On 20 March, the head coach announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season, meaning his final match at Athletic will be against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.