Marca: Valverde’s fate is still undecided, with Illaura and Inigo Perez as replacement candidates

Marca reported that Valverde is the coach with the most coaching games in the history of Athletic Bilbao. The coach, who is currently in his third term at the club, is the latest to enjoy a victory cruise in Gabala and is the only manager to have guided his team to the Champions League twice.

Valverde has yet to make any statement regarding his future, having spent ten seasons together at the club. How would Athletic Bilbao respond if the coach decided not to continue?

For the club, Valverde is not just a coach, he is also the team's real sports spokesperson, responsible for raising topics that may spark discussion. In addition, the club attaches great importance to Valverde's contribution in team lineup design and planning. He is not an ordinary coach because he understands the club's situation, timing and needs very well. This accumulation of responsibility, coupled with his passionate emotional connection to Athletic Bilbao, made his coaching career full of emotion... but also of great consumption.

As Valverde is about to usher in his 20th time coaching Athletic Bilbao in the derby against Real Sociedad, his stay after June 30 has not yet been determined because he himself has not expressed an opinion on it. What happens after that? What is certain is that Athletic Bilbao will face a problem when Valverde leaves, because there will be no time for transition and the new coach must lead the team to good results immediately. The club is managing these times and evaluating the options on the market, because if the coaching change is before next season, the possibility of promoting a coach from the Lesama academy will no longer exist.

Atletico Bilbao's sporting director and board will not publicly discuss a scenario without Valverde, but internally they are obliged to consider alternatives. The two candidates most mentioned by fans are Illaura (Bournemouth) and Inigo Perez (Vallecano), both of whom are former Athletic Bilbao players and have performed well for their respective teams. Both contracts are set to expire at the end of this season. However, they have no shortage of other offers as their stellar performances leave them with plenty of options to choose from.

Iraura is considered to be the first choice of some of the stronger teams in the Premier League, while Inigo Perez has rejected the invitation of Nottingham Forest and chose to stay with the team.

"I'm very happy in Vallecas, where I can develop as a coach and as a person. I can't find the same conditions elsewhere." Perez said last week.

The market for top league coaches, especially after the contract expires, does not have many options for the coaching concept set by the board of directors. Therefore, the club may need to look abroad, where there are a number of coaches who have been considered by the board at the time, as Valverde was not the original first choice. At that time, the club planned a different sports team, including a sports director. Current director of football Miguel Gonzalez's contract will also expire soon.

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