Edin Terzic is wasting no time in shaping his vision for Athletic Club. The newly appointed head coach, who will be formally presented after the current campaign concludes, is already deep in planning a preseason that promises to be both extensive and inclusive. The German tactician's history suggests that he will oversee a large group of players, a necessity given the unique constraints and philosophies that define the Bilbao-based club.
At Borussia Dortmund, Terzic cultivated a reputation for managing bloated squads with ease. During the 2023-24 season, he handed minutes to 32 players from a roster that swelled to 36. The following year, 30 individuals saw action, while seven others remained on the fringes without a single appearance. Those numbers underline a coach comfortable with complexity, one who believes in casting a wide net to uncover hidden gems and maintain intensity across competitions.
Now at Athletic, Terzic is holding detailed discussions with the club's hierarchy to determine the ideal roadmap for incorporating loan returnees and promoting talents from the reserve team. Not every player will be thrown into the deep end; some are expected to train alongside the first team solely for assessment purposes, allowing the coach and his analysts to gauge their readiness and long-term potential.
Preseason friendlies will form a cornerstone of this evaluation process. During his tenure in Dortmund, Terzic favored a packed schedule: six warm-up matches in his first summer, followed by seven during the World Cup hiatus in Qatar, and another seven a year later when the club toured the United States. His time as an assistant at West Ham provided a similarly condensed blueprint, with four games crammed into ten days and six in fifteen. Athletic supporters can anticipate a flurry of fixtures as the team builds fitness and cohesion.
This approach aligns neatly with the club's famed cantera policy. With a squad drawn exclusively from the Basque region, Athletic relies on its academy to replenish and strengthen the team. Terzic's willingness to work with an expanded group dovetails with this philosophy, offering prospects a genuine chance to stake their claim. It also creates healthy competition, forcing established stars to prove their worth every pre-season.
The timing of the preseason is particularly delicate. With the next World Cup on the horizon, several international players will return late from duty, thinning the ranks early on. A larger initial squad ensures that the team can still train effectively and compete in friendlies, while the latecomers gradually rejoin. It is a practical solution to a scheduling headache, one that Terzic has navigated before during the Qatar tournament.
For Athletic, the stakes are high. The club consistently punches above its weight in La Liga, but squad depth has often been a limiting factor in European qualification and cup runs. If Terzic can weave together a cohesive unit from a broad pool of talent, he might unlock a new level of resilience. Rotating effectively could keep legs fresh for the intense weeks that define top-four battles and knockout ties.
Skeptics might question whether 40 players is simply too many, but Terzic's track record shows he extracts value from unexpected places. At Dortmund, he developed young talents like Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Youssoufa Moukoko while still getting the best from established veterans. A similar alchemy at Athletic could see lesser-known names emerge as key contributors, strengthening the team without external signings.
The club's directors are clearly aligned with this vision. By planning now, well before the current season ends, they are giving Terzic the time to lay the groundwork for a smooth transition. The preseason program—heavy on matches, deep in evaluation—reflects a mutual understanding: Athletic's future depends on maximizing every resource within its borders.
Ultimately, Terzic's "40-man habit" is more than a curiosity; it is a strategic masterstroke for a club that cannot simply buy its way out of trouble. The coming months will test his methods in a new environment, but the early signs point to a thorough, thoughtful reconstruction. As the Basque squad sweats through countless friendlies and training sessions, the foundations for a potentially transformative era are being quietly poured.
Based on reporting from Marca.