Key Takeaways
- The interviewee transitioned smoothly from player to head coach of Leioa’s first team, having already worked with the club in both capacities for many years.
- He holds all necessary coaching licences (earned through Kirolene at Lezama) and is only currently barred from coaching abroad.
- His debut as coach came in a friendly against Athletic Bilbao, a club he has been a lifelong supporter of and where he played youth football for three seasons.
- Despite the emotional weight of facing his former club, he treats former teammates now under his charge with a strictly professional attitude, preserving friendships off the pitch.
- The Leioa project for the season is a major rebuild: only four players from the previous squad remain, with five juveniles promoted and the rest new signings; the goal is to finish among the top teams in the division.
- He cites Ernesto Valverde, Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Bittor Llopis as coaching influences, and feels the club’s confidence validates his readiness despite being one of the youngest head coaches in Spain’s national‑category leagues.
The interviewee began by describing how natural the shift from player to head coach feels. He had already been involved with Leioa both on the field and on the bench for a considerable period, gradually climbing the coaching ladder. When the club placed its maximum trust in him to lead the first team, he chose to focus entirely on coaching because it aligns with his long‑term ambition, even though he would have liked to continue playing.
He confirmed that he possesses the full set of coaching qualifications. While playing in Athletic Bilbao’s youth system at Lezama, the club required him to obtain his licences through Kirolene, and he has completed all the necessary courses. The only current limitation is that he cannot yet coach abroad, but he expects that situation to change in the future.
His first match in charge was a preseason friendly against Athletic Bilbao, the team he has supported since childhood and where he spent three years in the youth academy. The coincidence of facing his former club made the occasion especially meaningful; he noted having shared dressing rooms with several current Athletic players, including Paredes, Beñat Prados, Agirrezabala and even Nico Williams. Although he once dreamed of becoming an Athletic striker, he recognised the high level of competition at Lezama and accepted that his path lay elsewhere.
Reflecting on his playing career, he explained that he was linked to Leioa from the pre‑benjamín or benjamín stages up until his final year in Juveniles, a span of roughly 14‑15 years. After leaving Athletic, he spent three years with Sestao River, a stint at Portu, and then two more years with Leioa. Recent injury troubles limited his playing time in the last two seasons, which contributed to his internal debate about whether to keep playing or move into coaching full‑time. Ultimately, his desire to dedicate himself to coaching tipped the balance.
Coaching former teammates turned out to be less awkward than anticipated. He stressed that off‑the‑field friendships remain intact—meeting for a drink poses no problem—but once training begins, the relationship becomes strictly professional, and he applies the same standards to everyone. He acknowledged that some players, such as Ander Gayoso (aged 32), are older than him, yet they maintain a good rapport.
When asked about delivering the difficult decision to release players who were once his comrades, he deferred to the club’s sporting director, who handles roster construction. He expressed satisfaction with how the squad has been shaped.
Regarding Athletic Bilbao’s current head coach, he admitted he had not studied Terzic’s tactics in depth, although he is familiar with the coach’s reputation and follows German football only casually. He missed the chance to watch Terzic’s debut against Derio due to scheduling constraints.
Facing Athletic with only four training sessions under his belt posed a challenge for preseason planning. Leioa’s preparation started on 14 July, relatively early for a Tercera División side. Fortunately, most of the squad was available, with only three players absent, and he hopes they will be fit enough to avoid injuries.
At 26 years old, he may well be among the youngest head coaches in Spain’s national‑category leagues. He has not actively checked the statistic, but acknowledges the rarity of such a youthful appointment, especially at a club as demanding as Leioa. He attributes the club’s confidence to the work he has done—starting in football‑7 at age 15, progressing through youth categories, experiencing a brief interruption when he played for Portu, and later returning to Leioa where he helped the Juvenile B team reach Liga Nacional and maintained the Juvenile A side in División de Honor.
His coaching references include Ernesto Valverde, whom he regards as a clear role model, Pep Guardiola (whose ideas he has studied extensively), Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery, and Bittor Llopis, the present coach of Bilbao Athletic who once coached him.
Looking ahead, Leioa’s project for the coming season is a substantial rebuild: only four players from the previous 24‑man roster have been retained, five juveniles have been promoted from the A team, and the remainder are new signings. The primary objective is to complete a solid preseason, leveraging a competitive squad where internal competition will push everyone to maintain high standards. The club’s ambition is to finish in the top positions of the division, and the coaching staff is approaching the season with that goal in mind.