After Saturday’s results, Athletic Club are now only six points off the top of La Liga, which is a remarkable achievement at this stage of the season. It underlines the incredible work that head coach Ernesto Valverde has been doing since he returned to the club in the summer of 2022.
Athletic are on the up, but they could soon have to look for a new manager. Valverde is out of contract at the end of the season, and according to club president Jon Uriarte, plans are starting to be drawn up for the worst case scenario, as per Marca.
“Ernesto likes to talk about these topics when the season is late. Things depend on two parts, not just one. If for whatever reason we were unlucky and he did not continue with us, we would have to apply what a former boss of mine said: ‘cemeteries are full of essential people’. Mikel (director of football) and his team are working to try to make sure that in case that happens there is Plan B, Plan C and so on.”
Uriarte is hoping that Valverde will sign a new contract before his current deal comes to an end in the summer. At the very least, he wants the former Barcelona and Valencia manager to extend by an additional 12 months.
“It would be a dream for Valverde to be with us until the end. The statistics speak for themselves. He is an impressive coach and has had achievements in the three spells he has had with us. We have won the Copa del Rey and we are currently classified in the Champions League places. It is the work of many, but his role is fundamental. He is the best coach of Athletic in this century. I have a year and a half left in my mandate and it would be a dream for Valverde to be with us until the end.”
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