Ernesto Valverde will close one of the most storied chapters in Athletic Club history on Saturday when he takes charge of his 504th and final match for the Basque side against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. The 62-year-old, affectionately known as 'Txingurri' (the ant), steps away from a dugout he has occupied with distinction across two spells, having become the manager with the most games in the club’s 126-year existence. His departure, which will be followed by a sabbatical from football, not only signals the end of an era in Bilbao but also removes one of La Liga’s most respected and enduring figures from the Spanish top flight.
Valverde’s association with Athletic began in August 2003, when he debuted as a top-flight coach with a home defeat to Barcelona at the old San Mamés. That day he wore a suit and tie, a formal look he gradually abandoned as he built a reputation for pragmatic, competitive football. Over two spells — from 2003 to 2005 and again from 2013 to 2026 — he racked up 504 official matches, surpassing all predecessors in longevity. His teams secured Copa del Rey finals, European qualifications, and a Spanish Super Cup victory, though a major trophy eluded him in Bilbao. His second stint, lasting 13 years, cemented him as the definitive face of Athletic’s modern identity.
Beyond Athletic, Valverde’s managerial journey includes spells at Espanyol, Villarreal, Valencia, and Barcelona, where he won two La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey. His nearly 600 La Liga matches place him among the competition’s most experienced coaches. Now, with his final whistle at the Bernabéu, he says he is stepping into a ‘parenthesis’ — a break that may become permanent. At 62, he remains non-committal about a return, leaving the football world to wonder if one of its sharpest tactical minds has exited for good.
The Bernabéu provides a fitting, if daunting, stage for his farewell. Athletic’s last win at Real Madrid’s home dates back to 19 February 2005, when a Valverde-led side triumphed 2-0 thanks to goals from Asier del Horno and Andoni Iraola. Strikingly, several figures from that victory will be on the bench on Saturday: Valverde himself, his long-time assistant Jon Aspiazu, and fitness coach Xabier Prieto and technical assistant Pablo Orbaiz — the latter two having played in that match. This reunion adds a layer of nostalgia to a farewell already heavy with emotion.
Athletic travel to Madrid with little more than pride to play for. Their faint hopes of European qualification evaporated after a 1-1 home draw with Celta Vigo left them with a paltry four points from the last 15 available. The season’s end has been a limp one, and Valverde’s send-off comes amid a run of results unworthy of his tenure’s standards. A victory at the Bernabéu would be a defiant final act, but the odds are steep against a Real Madrid side that has turned the stadium into a fortress.
While Valverde’s exit marks a break with the past, Athletic’s future already has a face: Edin Terzic. The German, who rose to prominence by taking Borussia Dortmund to the 2024 Champions League final, will become the first foreign-born coach to manage the club in the modern era. His appointment signals a potential shift in Athletic’s traditional reliance on Basque-linked tacticians, though the club’s commitment to its Basque-only player policy remains intact. Terzic faces the immediate challenge of rejuvenating a squad that has grown stale and rediscovering the intensity that defined Valverde’s best years.
Adding an off-pitch subplot, Athletic will debut their 2026-27 season kit at the Bernabéu. The shirt, whose design incorporates imagery that has been interpreted as a nod to the Basque identity, has drawn sharp criticism from certain political groups in Navarre. The controversy has been dismissed by many as opportunistic, but it underscores the unique cultural and political sensitivities that surround the club. For Valverde’s final match, the new shirt will be a symbolic garment — one that carries both hope for the future and the weight of regional politics.
Assessing Valverde’s legacy at Athletic is to weigh consistency and identity over silverware. He leaves having transformed the club from a side that flirted with relegation into a stable European contender, all while honoring the unique recruitment philosophy that makes Athletic one of football’s most romantic institutions. His ability to coax performances from a limited pool of Basque players won admiration across Spain. The standing ovation he received at San Mamés last week — where he was presented with a tribute trophy — was a testament to the bond he forged with the fans, even if the final chapter is being written in the Spanish capital.
Valverde’s departure also thins the ranks of veteran Spanish coaches in the top division. Alongside figures like Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti, he was one of the league’s longest-serving managers. His exit leaves a gap in experience and tactical nous that will be felt across the competition. For Athletic, the transition to Terzic is a gamble that could either revitalize the club or expose the fragility of a model that has always relied on deep institutional knowledge and a coach who understands its soul.
As the final whistle blows at the Bernabéu, Valverde will walk away from the touchline as he arrived: with the quiet dignity that marked his entire career. Whether this is a permanent goodbye to football or merely a pause, his 504-match Athletic journey stands as a monument to loyalty and substance in an era of fleeting allegiances. For the Basques, Saturday is not just the end of a season, but the end of a defining chapter — one that will be remembered every time the ‘ant’ returns to San Mamés as a fan.
Based on reporting from Marca.
