Athletic Bilbao head coach Ernesto Valverde announced on the club's official website on Sunday that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

According to Bilbao's official statement, the decision to leave was announced personally by Valverde. He made the announcement on Friday morning (March 20th) Spanish local time.

Although he will no longer serve as head coach, Valverde will continue to coach the club for the remaining 10 matches of the season.

Regarding his departure, Valverde said through Athletic Bilbao's official website: "Hello everyone. Today I am announcing that I will no longer serve as the Athletic Bilbao head coach next season. This is a decision I made after careful consideration and discussions with the club, and I wanted to share it with you.

"At the same time, it is worth noting that we still have ten crucial league matches to play, the first of which is against Real Betis this Sunday. In these 10 matches, we strive to achieve our goals. We have gained a lot, and we will give our all. There is no doubt that as long as we are united, we will be able to win."

With this announcement, it means that Valverde's third stint as Lehoiak's head coach will be coming to an end.

About Ernesto Valverde

The 62-year-old Valverde returned to San Mamés for the third time four years ago, in 2022, and has managed Athletic Bilbao for a total of 10 years.

During his tenure, Valverde led Bilbao to their first Copa del Rey title in 40 years, defeating Mallorca on penalties in the 2023/2024 season final, etching his name in the club's history.

In 2015, he also led Athletic Bilbao to the Supercopa de España title win.

Throughout Valverde's coaching career, he has managed 485 matches, 370 of which were La Liga games.

Athletic Bilbao currently sits tenth in the La Liga table, six points away from the European qualification zone, having recently suffered two consecutive league defeats.

This season, Athletic Bilbao lost to Basque rivals Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, and finished 29th in the Champions League League Stage.

Image source: Internet / AS