The first two stages of Ernesto Valverde as coach of Athletic are separated by eight seasons in which the lions went from fighting for relegation to playing in a Cup and Europa League final in the same year. The so-called black biennium was followed by the cycle of consolidation and growth with Caparrós and the explosion with Bielsa.
Txingurri also debuted as First Division coach in that already distant 2003-04 campaign. The team finished in fifth position with Yeste as top scorer with 11 goals followed by Urzaiz with 8 and Etxebe with 9. A year later, the Navarrese finished as top scorer with 12 goals, one more than Ezquerro and three more than Yeste himself.
During the stage in which Valverde remained away from the bench, Fernando Llorente’s explosion took place. The lanky forward of Athletic gradually became the main offensive reference of the team after the departure of an Aduriz who returned to Bilbao again to coincide with the now Eibar striker in his last year in Lezama.
the goal man
Valverde’s return coincided with the definitive explosion of an Aduriz who impressed locals and strangers despite having overcome the 30-year barrier. The man from San Sebastian was the top scorer for the rojiblanco team during the four Leagues in which Txingurri was on the bench at the new San Mamés. The first season, 2013-14, he scored a total of 16 goals in the regular tournament. The following year he went up to 18 and two later he peaked at 20, four fewer than in 2016-17.
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