Valverde will celebrate 400 official matches as Athletic coach tomorrow against Valencia in San Mamés. Che’s team, where he was also a coach during his time, was the third opponent he faced most in his entire career on the bench directing the lions. The first of all is Barça, who were measured for the last time on Saturday in Montjuïc, and the second is Atlético de Madrid, where they will meet again this Saturday in Bilbao.
The coach from Gasteiz has long been the coach who has coached Athletic the most times throughout its centennial history. His numbers in the red and white club, where he also worked as a footballer, are gradually increasing, because this is your third phase in the head of the lions.
Valverde started his career as coach of the Bilbao team at the age of 39. By then, he had time to work at Lezama as coach of the lower categories, as assistant to Txetxu Rojo and as assistant to Andoni Zubizarreta in sports management. His debut on the first team bench took place on August 30, 2003 in an Athletic-Barça match that ended in a narrow victory for Barça.
His last match, for now, as Athletic coach was on Saturday at the age of 60, also against the culé team, only this time in Barcelona. The clash again ended in defeat for the lions. The setting of this last Liga classic also has a close connection to Valverde’s career on the bench, as he served there for two seasons as Espanyol’s coach.
nine seasons
The first 2003-2004 season on the San Mamés bench was Valverde’s shortest in terms of the number of official matches played. Athletic played the mandatory 38 league rounds and a single round in the Cup as the Bilbao team was eliminated for the first time in Torrelavega against Gimnástica. That was, without a doubt, one of the biggest disappointments of the Gasteiztarran coach as a red-and-white coach.
His first cycle as coach of the Bilbao team also included the 2004-2005 campaign. Valverde then embarked on a new journey that brought him to Espanyol (2006-07 and 2007-08), Olympiacos (2008-09), Villarreal (2009-10) was dismissed on matchday 20, Olympiacos again ( 2011-12), Valencia (2012-13) against Che team on matchday 24 and again at Athletic.
That second cycle on the bench of the new San Mamés began in 2013-14 and ended in 2016-17 with Josu Urrutia, his former teammate, as president. The lions qualified for the Champions League, regulars in Europe and went on to win the Super Cup. The 2015-16 campaign was the longest for Athletic with Valverde as coach, as the rojiblancos played 62 games resulting in 32 wins, 12 draws, 18 losses, 105 goals for and 70 matches.
To Barcelona and home
After closing his second period on the Bilbao bench, the Spaniard signed for Barça where he spent two and a half seasons, because of the third he was fired on matchday 19. His third cycle at the red and white club came from hand of Jon Uriarte, the current president. Valverde signed for one year in 2022-23, for another in 2023-24 and for another in 2024-25. The team returned to Europe, won a Cup and Gabarra again sailed to the crater after 40 years.
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.
