Uriarte's vote of confidence for Valverde comes with a telling caveat
Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte admits the team's league position is 'worrying' but backs Ernesto Valverde 'as of today' to turn things around in Bilbao.
Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte has offered his backing to under-pressure manager Ernesto Valverde – but with the sort of caveat that would make any gaffer reach for the Alka-Seltzer.
Mid-season review paints grim picture
In what’s become a tradition of mid-season assessments at the Basque club, Uriarte has been brutally honest about Athletic’s current predicament. The team finds themselves in a proper pickle in La Liga, already knocked out of the Champions League, with a dismal showing in the Supercopa, and only the Copa del Rey offering any remaining hope.
“The situation in the league is worrying,” Uriarte admitted, before giving Valverde what might be the football equivalent of the dreaded vote of confidence.
The ‘as of today’ qualifier
While Uriarte insisted Valverde is “the ideal person to get Athletic out of this situation in La Liga,” the telling phrase “as of today” was attached to his endorsement – hardly the sort of ringing endorsement that suggests the gaffer’s job is safe as houses.
The president acknowledged the obvious: “It’s easier to change a manager than the entire squad,” before adding that Valverde’s position is always under analysis, especially during difficult periods. The message was crystal clear – results must improve, and sharpish.
Dire league form impossible to ignore
The statistics make for grim reading for Los Leones fans:
- Just 16 points from the last 59 available in La Liga
- Currently sitting in a “very bad position” in the table
- Immediate focus on reaching 42 points (the traditional safety mark) as soon as possible
Uriarte described the team as caught in a “negative spiral” that urgently needs addressing, though he did point to injuries and the demanding calendar as mitigating factors.
Call for unity amid fan discontent
The president expressed understanding for fan frustration but called for unity at this crucial moment. He seemed particularly bothered by some of the chants directed at players, including demands to show more fight during the recent match against Real Sociedad.
With a touch of irony, Uriarte addressed criticism aimed at his leadership, suggesting some fans had somehow decided he was “responsible for losing to Sporting Portugal in the last minute.”
For now, Valverde remains in the dugout, but with that “as of today” qualifier hanging over him like the sword of Damocles, he’ll know better than anyone that the clock is ticking.