There will be no shock departure in Bilbao on the bench this summer, after Athletic Club announced that manager Ernesto Valverde would be staying at the club next season. ‘El Txingurri’, or the ant as he is known in Basque, was out of contract at the end of the year.
This week Los Leones bid farewell to a third veteran presence in two years, with captain Oscar de Marcos following Iker Muniain and Raul Garcia out of the door. They will have the guiding hand of Valverde to take them back to the Champions League for the first time in a decade though.
🎙️ #Valverde2026
“It’s an important challenge. I feel a responsibility here, towards the team and the people I work with.”
“The Champions League is immensely exciting. It’s a very tough competition but I hope we all enjoy it.”#AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/GIg29MEBNY
— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) May 23, 2025
‘The Champions League is tough but exciting’ – Valverde
Valverde will be going into his tenth season with Athletic, and is currently the manager to have taken charge of the most games in club history (451). After an absence from European football for seven years – since he left the club for a second time – Athletic returned to the Europa League and made it to the semi-final, eventually falling to Manchester United, one step before a home final at San Mames.
The last time Athletic were in Europe’s top competition was also under Valverde in 2014-15 though, a sign of just how impressive he has been for Athletic comparatively. Last season he knocked off another milestone, beating RCD Mallorca to lift a first Copa del Rey in 40 years, following numerous finals without a win. Valverde described the Champions League as ‘tough but exciting, looking ahead to another challenge.
Tricky summer ahead for Athletic?
The big question in Bilbao is whether they will have star winger Nico Williams when they go into the Champions League. Certainly it will be an enticing offer for Williams to stay, and he appears to have less interest than last year, but that could all change quickly.
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