Light and Shadows in Athletic by Inaki Ugalde

Athletic Club is preparing for the new season, walking on the edge between the usual hope and disappointment from the past year. The return to the Champions League was supposed to be the beginning of a new stage, but the loss of the European passport was a sad ending. The team is preparing to start with a new captain who will lead this difficult journey in conditions where the club is left without its historical coach. Valverde's work, despite criticism in the previous season, left its mark. Now it falls on the shoulders of his successor, Tergić, to set the disoriented team on the right course. As club president Hon Uriart said at the end of last season, his first contact with the new coach coincided with his first trip to the Champions League. After the defeat in Dortmund, Uriarte unexpectedly announced his intentions to hold elections. Yesterday, a few days before the start of pre-season training, he confirmed the extension of Mikel Gonzalez's contract until the end of his mandate. Now it remains to be seen what influence Valverde had on the first team and on the Academy in Lezama. The departure of one of the best coaches Athletic has ever had has left a void. Now it's the turn of a younger, newer coach in these parts. His decision to come to Bilbao says a lot about his intentions, because not everyone would agree to take a team that does not have European competitions. Ongi etorri!