Iraola Emerges as Strong Candidate for San Mamés Coaching Role

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 20, 2026 7:02 PM ET

Ernesto Valverde will leave a large void on the Athletic Club bench. He will surpass 500 matches in charge by season’s end.

His tenure included the Copa del Rey triumph two years ago. That title ended a 40-year wait for the club.

Search at Ibaigane

The club has opened a formal search for a successor. Several names have led the conversation for months.

Iraola debuted as a player at Athletic under Valverde in 2003. He spent 12 seasons and played more than 500 matches for the club.

He began coaching in Cyprus in 2018. Strong results at Mirandés earned him the Rayo Vallecano role.

Currently he is at Bournemouth and his contract runs until June. In England he secured top-flight survival in his first season.

His second Premier campaign produced a ninth-place finish. The team sits seven points outside European qualification this season.

Local coverage has even used lines such as “Iraola Emerges as Strong Candidate for San Mamés Coaching Role”.

Pérez also finishes his Rayo contract when the season ends. He is a former Athletic player and knows the club culture.

He was Iraola’s assistant in 2022/23. After Iraola left for England, Pérez took charge of the first team.

He kept Rayo up by a five-point margin in his first season. The following year he guided them to eighth place.

That eighth-place finish earned Rayo a spot in the Conference League. This season he has taken them to the competition’s quarterfinals.

Club sources have identified Giráldez as a fitting profile. He is noted for an attacking, youth-driven approach to coaching.

Negotiations with him reportedly took place last year. He added an affordable release clause when extending with Celta until 2027.

Giráldez steadied Celta after Rafa Benítez’s exit. He returned the club to European competition after an eight-year absence.

His work has attracted interest from clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham and Benfica.

Several intermediaries have offered Pochettino’s name to Athletic. His résumé includes Espanyol, Chelsea, PSG and Tottenham.

He is the current United States national team coach. His agreement expires after this summer’s World Cup.

Athletic faces a complex choice due to Valverde’s legacy. The club must balance continuity with a clear new direction.

Filmogaz.com will monitor developments as the club advances its selector process. Fans can expect announcements in the coming weeks.