This season, I’m looking for intrastories related to the day current players made their debuts playing in the Athletic men’s first team. Everyone, at least now, has had time with the elite as a lion, some more, others less. I think there may be names that catch your attention related to each star’s debut. The established order is the numbers. All bibs are complete. At least, those who have been called.
It all started with Unai Simón and ended with Olabarrieta. Now it’s time to look at the other figures that are part of the Athletic. Now, for example, in the coach.
Ernesto Valverde made his debut as coach of the Athletic first team in an official match on August 30, 2003. In San Mamés. Saturday Nine thirty at night. It was a debut in a suit and tie. The truth is that I don’t remember what she was wearing in this third episode.
Debut with a loss. 0-1. That night, two players also made their debut: Andoni Iraola, who became a legendary player and now manages Bournemouth in the English Premier League, and Jonan García, a midfielder with less career than Usurbil. On the rival bench, Frank Rijkaard, who is making his Liga debut as coach of Barça.
The first official eleven of the coach with the most games in the history of Athletic was composed by Aranzubia; Javi González, Lacruz, Karanka, Larrazabal; Iraola, Gurpegui, Tiko, Yeste; Ezquerro and Etxeberria. Also playing that day: Urzaiz, Jonan García and Guerrero. Lafuente, Luis Prieto, César and Endika Bordas completed the call.
More proper names
In Barcelona, current coaches like Xavi and Luis Enrique are players from that team. No one could have imagined then that the three would end up coaching at Barça. Ronaldihno is also a member of that group. It was a rainy night and where the figure of Athletic president Javier Uría, who died late last season, was remembered.
In the rest of the sport, on the day that Valverde made his debut, Ronaldinho’s debut in San Mamés was in the news on the national cover of Mundo Deportivo, focusing attention on the new season of Barcelona. Also that a game will be played in the early morning because on Wednesday, September 3, a Barça-Sevilla match was announced at 12:05 am and that the final of the U-17 World Cup was played between Spain and Brazil. Javier Mandaluniz, goalkeeper from Vizcaya, started.
I want to apologize to Valverde. I believe that the third phase of Txingurri on the Athletic bench will not work. And I was wrong. I can’t imagine Athletic without him now. I have never doubted his knowledge, I just thought his time at Athletic was over. He will go down in history as the coach with the most games for Athletic and with whom the red and white team won the Cup again 40 years later. Hopefully, for example, he is the coach where Athletic won its first European title. Koldo Aguirre and Marcelo Bielsa were left at the gates. The Europa League final will be played in San Mamés. It won’t be something from another Thursday.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
