Saturday’s game in San Mamés is not just for Ernesto Valverde. Athletic received a visit from Espanyol, a club where the coach from Gasteiz served as both player and coach. The same thing is happening to him in his current team and in Barça.
Valverde even has a door with his name on it at the RCDE Stadium. The Perica entity decided in 2015 to name the 98 gates of its new field and the now red-and-white coach has been designated the 89th The reason for this blue-and-white initiative is none other than to have detail among the most outstanding coaches and footballers throughout the entity’s history.
The now red-and-white coach defended the Espanyol shirt as a player for two seasons. After leaving Sestao de Jabo Irureta he signed for Clemente’s blue and white club in the 1986-87 season for two years. His team then lost the 1988 UEFA Cup final, however, leaving Johan Cruyff’s Barça.
Once he hung up his boots and finished his first cycle as coach of Athletic, Valverde signed again for Espanyol (2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons), but this time as a coach. His team, as happened to him as a footballer, also lost the 2007 UEFA final on penalties This time against Sevilla.
Negative and positive
Valverde has faced Espanyol as Athletic coach in 14 League games and two Cup ties his record in the regular tournament is five wins, two draws and seven losses with 16 goals for and 17 matches. Two years ago, without going further, the parakeets won 0-1 at San Mamés on matchday 4. The lions, however, turned the coin in the second round by winning 1-2 on matchday 28. The blue and white team has been relegated to that 2022-23 League.
In the Cup, however, it wasn’t bad for Valverde as the red and white coach against Espanyol. In the 2014-15 season, the lions reached the final after drawing 1-1 at San Mamés and winning 0-2 at Cornellà-El Prat and two seasons ago they qualified for the quarterfinals after winning 1- 0 in Bilbao.
In their confrontations against Athletic as a rival coach, the Spaniard won both of their home games and lost both away games (2006-07 and 2007-08). The Cup also saw the faces of lions and parakeets with the red and whites progressing through the round after 1-1 draws were recorded at both La Catedral and Montjuïc. Caparrós’ lions reached the quarterfinals by winning the penalty shootout.
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.
