Two years ago, the team reunited with Ernesto Valverde. His “second first year” wasn’t the best, as they fell just short of returning the legendary club to European competitions. However, the following season turned out to be successful for the Basques. After a 40-year hiatus, they finally won the Copa del Rey again—their last victory in the tournament was back in 1984. The players fought hard for the fourth spot in La Liga, often outpacing Atlético Madrid in this race, but in the end, the Madrid giants pulled away.
Now, the team has to prepare to play in both La Liga and the Europa League simultaneously. There’s still uncertainty about whether Nico Williams will stay or leave. However, the experienced coach conducted the preseason without being distracted by rumors, and overall, the results of the matches were quite decent.
The club also reunited with a coach who had previously worked there successfully—Bordalás. Pepe made a strong impression during his previous tenure from 2016 to 2021, leading the “Azulones” to the Europa League playoffs. However, the new stint has been less successful so far, with the team finishing only in 12th place last season. On the other hand, after the coach’s departure, the team twice fought for survival until the very end, but now they comfortably finished with a ten-point cushion above the best of the relegation candidates.
Now, without Greenwood and Choco Lozano but with several new signings like Talla and Diego Rico, the team is moving forward. Given their modest financial resources, Ángel Torres tries to bring in free agents. Overall, the squad is decent, though they lost most of their preseason matches.
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