Edin Terzic has been appointed as the new Athletic Club manager. The former Borussia Dortmund manager has taken over the reins of the Basque club from Ernesto Valverde, who was enjoying his third stint as manager at San Mamés.
Athletic Club finished eighth in La Liga last season and could not qualify for European football, and the club’s performance in Europe was not noteworthy as well, as they only won two UEFA Champions League games and finished 29th in the table last season.
Ernesto Valverde’s Third Spell As Athletic Club Manager
Ernesto Valverde took over as Athletic Club manager in June 2022. Valverde brought UEFA Champions League football back to San Mames in the 2025/26 season for the first time since 2014/15, and the Basque side also won the Copa del Rey in 2024, their first domestic silverware since 1984, except for the Supercopa de España.
Valverde’s Tactics At San Mamés
Valverde’s time at Athletic Club was marked by a strong defensive team that prioritised stability. Under Valverde, Athletic Club conceded the least amount of expected goals (xG) across four seasons combined in La Liga. Los Leones’ defensive tactics were to overload the central areas and restrict opponent attacks through the centre, and force them wide, as they were content to defend wide areas and crosses.
In the attacking phase, Athletic Club did not take unnecessary risks while building up from the back. They only tried to dominate possession when the opposition allowed; otherwise, they used their fast wingers, Inaki Williams and Nico Williams, to run in behind and receive long balls.
Background Of The New Athletic Club Manager: Edin Terzic
Edin Terzic arrives as the new Athletic Club manager after being away from football for two years. His last appointment was as Borussia Dortmund manager, and he led that side to the Champions League Final in 2024. Terzic joined Dortmund as a youth coach in 2010, as he used to compile scouting reports for the then Dortmund manager, Jürgen Klopp.
Between 2013 and 2017, Terzic served as an assistant to Slaven Bilic at Besiktas and West Ham. Then, he joined Dortmund as an assistant coach. In December 2020, after the dismissal of Lucien Favre, he took over as interim Dortmund manager and won the German Cup in 2021.
Edin Terzic became the permanent Dortmund manager before the 2022/23 season. That season, Dortmund lost the Bundesliga on goal difference to Bayern Munich on the final matchday after drawing with Mainz, where a win would have sealed the title. The next season, Die Borussen had a historic European campaign and lost to an inexplicable Real Madrid side in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley.
New Athletic Club Manager: Terzic’s Attacking Tactics As Dortmund Manager
Terzic frequently used the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations at Dortmund. The new Athletic Club manager favoured a possession-based style, and his Dortmund side averaged 58.3% possession in the 2022/23 season, second most in the Bundesliga after Bayern.
Terzic used a single pivot to build up with two number eights dominating the half-spaces. The full-back duo of Ian Maatsen and Julian Ryerson provided width and combined with the number eights and wingers to progress forward. The wingers often tucked inside to provide more central passing options.
Dortmund’s idea to attack under Terzic was to overload central areas with the striker dropping deep and playing through the opposition with quick combinations. They left their wide players in one-versus-one situations against the defenders and relied on their individual quality to shine through.
Against high-pressing sides, especially in the UEFA Champions League, the Dortmund manager showed pragmatism and was keen to go long. Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho provided runs in behind the opposition backline, and Nico Schlotterbeck, Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule were eager to find their attackers with long balls. During the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League campaign, Dortmund had less than 50% possession on average.
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New Athletic Club Manager: The Defensive Philosophy Of Terzic’s Dortmund
The defensive philosophy of Terzic’s Dortmund was quite similar to Valverde’s Athletic Club side. Dortmund defended in a mid-to-low block more often, while occasionally pressing high depending on the opposition. Dortmund tried to defend centrally by covering the spaces in the middle and allowed the opposition to go into wide areas. From there, they blocked the passing lanes and tried to win the ball back.
Similarity In Ideas Of The Former And New Athletic Club Manager
The tactics of the new Athletic Club manager are similar to the former in some aspects. They share the same idea of defending in a mid-to-low block and prioritise defensive stability. In attack, they both want their teams to play with the ball but are not afraid to go long depending on the opposition.
What to Expect From The New Athletic Club Manager At San Mamés
Edin Terzic has the tools to implement his Dortmund tactics at San Mamés. Aymeric Laporte and Dani Vivian provide a good defensive pairing and quality on the ball; the Williams brothers provide the in-behind and wide threat, and Mikel Jauregizar and Oihan Sancet provide stability in the middle.
New Athletic Club Manager: The Dilemma Terzic Faces At The Basque Club
Terzic’s biggest problem at Dortmund was that his side often lacked creativity and ideas to break down the opposition. When Jude Bellingham and Raphael Guerrero left after the 2022/23 season, Dortmund could not replace their creative abilities in the next season.
Last season, Athletic Club faced the same issue, as when they had the ball at their feet, they were not productive with it more often than not. Athletic Club’s “cantera policy” of using only Basque players halts them from signing other creative talent. Time will tell if the new Athletic Club manager has learnt from his past mistakes at Signal Iduna Park. He would need to come up with some fresh ideas to bring UEFA Champions League football and titles back to San Mamés.
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