Athletic Club target tight-lipped on managerial links

Last week, Athletic Club begun their search for a new manager after Ernesto Valverde revealed that he will be leaving his position when his contract expires at the end of the season. Initially, Bournemouth head coach and Los Leones icon Andoni Iraola had been the hot favourite, but in the last few days, it has been revealed that president Jon Uriarte favours a move for Edin Terzic.

Terzic, who has been out of work since leaving Borussia Dortmund weeks after they lost the 2023-24 Champions League final to Real Madrid, is seen as the ideal option to replace Valverde, and initial talks have already taken place with his representatives.

RTL (via Cadena SER) have reported that Terzic would be open to taking charge of Athletic, although he chose to remain tight-lipped on the matter when speaking to the media earlier this week.

“I have stopped commenting on rumors, regardless of whether they are true or not. I have not done it in the past and I will not do it in the future either.”

Is Terzic the right man for the job?

It has taken many by surprise that Terzic has emerged as the favourite to take over as Athletic’s manager post-Valverde, given that Iraola seemed like a perfect fit. However, the 43-year-old German proved himself as a very capable manager during his time at Dortmund, and after two years out of the game, a move to San Mames could be ideal for him.

It will be very interesting to see how Athletic’s managerial search plays out. Talks with Terzic are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with the hope being that an agreement is reached before the summer begins. There is optimism that the German manager will be in charge from next season onwards, although nothing is done at this stage.