Athletic Club have named Edin Terzic as their new manager on a deal until 2028. It was something of an open secret that the Borussia Dortmund manager was set to take the reins, but now Los Leones have confirmed that Terzic will take over from Ernesto Valverde.
After Valverde announced his impending departure in March, there was plenty of speculation over who might take over. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Rayo Vallecano’s Inigo Perez, both former players at San Mames, were heavily linked with the job. Yet with Valverde’s exit known for some time internally, it seems that President Jon Uriarte already had an agreement in place with Terzic.
Terzic, who has never worked in Spain before, will take over on a two-year contract, becoming the first foreign manager of the club since 2018. That was an ill-fated spell for Toto Berizzo following success at Celta Vigo, but before that, Marcelo Bielsa had an iconic two-game run in Bilbao. The 43-year-old was reportedly brought in partly due to his commitment to youth development.
Winning the German Pokal in 2021, he had a second stint at Dortmund, and nearly won the Bundesliga in 2023, before reaching the Champions League final in 2024, before Real Madrid put paid to their hopes. Terzic has also worked as an assistant manager at West Ham United and Besiktas.
Athletic say he will be presented as manager after the end of the season, in which four games remain. It brings to an end Valverde’s third stint, with the Basque manager coaching his 500th game on Saturday for Athletic. Terzic will have major boots to fill, with Valverde having authored a return to the Champions League after a decade, and a first Copa del Rey in over four decades. This season, things had become stale though, and Terzic will be a breath of fresh air for the players.
