A former Athletic youth player has taken charge of the Leioa first team and will make his debut as coach in a friendly against Athletic. It is a meaningful step for a man whose football life has been closely tied to both clubs, and it arrives less than a month after he recently decided to move into senior coaching.
His link to Athletic began when he was six years old, and he spent three years in Lezama during his youth career. He also said the club made him obtain coaching qualifications through Kirolene while he was still a youth player, which helped prepare him for the move into the dugout later on.
A familiar opponent, but a new role
The friendly will carry extra significance because Athletic is not just another opponent. He said he has a strong emotional link to the club because he is a member and also played there as a youth. That connection makes the occasion personal, even if his focus now is squarely on Leioa and the responsibilities that come with leading the first team.
He was linked to Leioa from prebenjamín or benjamín until his last year of youth football, then spent three years at Sestao River after leaving Athletic. After that came a spell at Portu and two more years at Leioa. He also said that in the last two years he spent more time injured and stopped than active, a stretch that helped push him toward the next stage of his career.
From teammate to coach
One of the most interesting parts of the story is how the relationship changes once training begins. He said that former teammates stop being teammates in the usual sense as soon as work starts, which is the reality of moving from the pitch to the sideline. The shift is a big one, but it also fits the path he has been building for years.
At 32 years old, he is now entering a new phase with Leioa and doing it in a setting that connects his past and present. The friendly against Athletic will not just be a debut; it will be a reminder of how closely linked his football story has been to the club where it all started.
