iraola is emerging as a leading candidate after Ernesto Valverde announced he will not continue as Athletic Club head coach. Valverde made the decision public today in a simple video on the club’s official channels and described it as a choice he had matured and discussed with the club. The announcement comes just before the final ten league matches, with the team focused on securing European competition.
Iraola emerges as leading homegrown option
The coaching vacancy at San Mamés has opened a casting that lists several names, with iraola and Iñigo Pérez among the internal profiles most frequently mentioned by club insiders. Club directors note that Iraola is a familiar figure to the institution: he debuted at Athletic under Valverde and spent twelve seasons as a player with the club. Current job details and contract timing at his present club are part of the wider assessment the Athletic leadership is conducting as it weighs continuity against external alternatives.
Immediate reactions from club figures and candidates
Ernesto Valverde, Athletic Club head coach, said: “It is a decision that I have matured for some time and it has been discussed with the club. ” The club itself sent a brief message highlighting the competitive context: “Ten matches remain in which we have much to win. A farewell worthy of you remains pending, mister. “
Jon Uriarte, club president, has been active in the process of trying to persuade Valverde to remain and is now engaging with the next-stage planning. Mikel González, sporting director, announced that in the coming weeks the club would speak with Valverde to define the future. At the same time, the president currently favors an external profile, Edin Terzic, while other directors continue to value candidates who know the club’s culture and constraints.
Background and what comes next
Valverde leaves after a decade linked to the first team across three spells and a record of domestic trophies and European qualifications. The club will complete the current season with Valverde in charge while finalizing its selection process. Negotiations and decisions will be conducted by the sporting leadership and the president as they balance immediate sporting objectives with longer-term project design.
In practical terms, the next steps are set: internal assessments and external approaches will accelerate in the weeks ahead, with the club engaging shortlisted coaches and defining contractual terms. Stakeholders should expect formal talks and announcements as the club moves to appoint the person who will inherit the project at San Mamés; in that process, iraola remains one of the named possibilities the club is weighing.
