“I am very excited to be part of this project. Athletic has a clear line to follow with its own identity, its very special identity. I think he has a way of doing things that I totally recognize. It’s a proud day and the truth is I’m very happy.”
Athletic yesterday made official what had been an open secret from the exact moment Carlos Gurpegi announced that he would not continue as head of Bilbao Athletic. The coach chosen by those responsible for Lezama to manage the second team bench in its new venture in the Primera RFEF is Jokin Aranbarri, a 39-year-old coach from Guipuzcoa whose Eibar reserve team has just been promoted to the Second RFEF.
The new coach, as the Ibaigane entity itself highlighted in its statement, “has been the coach of Eibar’s youth teams for seven seasons, directing the last three of its first reserve team. He graduated from Unbe after an extensive career as a player, mainly in Bizkaia football, where he made 135 appearances in Second B from the forward position. After studying Sports Teaching in Begoñako Andra Mari, he graduated from CAFYD at UPV, with final internships carried out in Lezama. He made coaching compatible with football. After playing until 2004 for Anaitasuna, he went through Aurrera de Ondarroa, Barakaldo, Gernika, Lemona, Sestao River (five seasons) and Arenas Club (three).
On July 8, presentation
Aranbarri, according to the decision made by those responsible for Athletic, will not be shown to the media until the same day that the training of the red-and-white reserve team begins, scheduled for July 8. The coach of Guipuzcoan, in any case, left his first impression on the statements made on the very entity of Ibaigane.
“The team is coming off a great season. I want to congratulate Gurpegi and his staff for the great year they have had. It is my advantage that the majority of the staff will be with me and we will work together. I am sure they will be of great help in me in this adaptation, which for me will be special, good quality and fast,” he said.
Aranbarri also congratulated “all the players because it’s been an amazing year. Let’s see if we can pick up that momentum.” Before closing this unique presentation, the new coach of Bilbao Athletic clarified that “I want to thank Eibar for the promise they made for me. I spent my whole career as a player in Bizkaia, so I feel for Biscayan football, for Athletic. I think that feeling should be a driving force in everyday life. “I think of Euskal Herria football as a whole.”
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.
