Ernesto Valverde announces that he will not continue as Athletic Club coach after the current season.

BILBAO, SPAIN. — The experienced coach Ernesto Valverde confirmed that he will not continue at the helm of Athletic Club once the current season ends, in a decision made by mutual agreement with the institution’s board of directors.

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The red-and-white coach, who holds the record for most matches managed in the club’s history with 494 games, communicated his decision through a video broadcast on the team’s official channels, stating that it is a decision “matured over time” and previously discussed with the entity. “I wanted to share that next season I will not be the coach of Athletic. It’s a decision I’ve been considering for some time,” said Valverde, who also emphasized his commitment to end the season with the greatest possible competitiveness. The 62-year-old strategist thus faces the final stretch of his third stage on the San Mamés bench (2022-2026), completing a cycle of ten years at the helm of the Bilbao team, also adding his periods between 2003-2005 and 2013-2017. During his tenure, Athletic won important titles such as the Spanish Super Cup 2015 and the Copa del Rey 2024, this last achievement especially significant by ending a 40-year drought without lifting the trophy. Furthermore, under his management, the club qualified for the Champions League twice and maintained a notable consistency in LaLiga, consistently positioning itself among the top positions in the championship. Beyond his legacy as a coach, Valverde also left his mark as an Athletic footballer between 1990 and 1996, a period in which he played 188 matches and scored 50 goals, establishing himself as an emblematic figure of the institution. The club announced that Valverde’s official farewell will take place at the end of the season, ending one of the most successful and representative stages in the recent history of the Basque team.