Ernesto Valverde is delighted to have returned to Athletic Bilbao.
Valverde has been named coach by new president Jon Uriarte. He returns to football for the first time since his dismissal by Barcelona in January 2021.
The experienced coach, who has led Athletic on more occasions than any other coach in our history, was officially presented as the Lions’ new manager in a press conference at San Mamés.
“It’s always an honour to coach Athletic,” said Valverde, whose contract is set to run until June 30, 2023.
“This club means a lot to me. And I know what it means not just to Bilbao, but to a lot of other places around the world too.
“I made the decision to return because I believe this is a challenge which is exciting and demanding enough to make it worth a go.”
Valverde will oversee his first training session at Lezama next week and said he would be looking to build a side “fans could be proud of”.
He said: “The main objective is that the fans feel proud and can identify with the team. We’ve got a good team to work with and that’s we’re going to set about doing.
“Now there’s a long way to go until the start of the season and make sure everything is up to scratch.”
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