A former Athletic captain is emerging as a prime candidate to take charge of Basconia, according to the club's sporting management. The player, who made 560 appearances for Athletic and scored 76 goals, played his last match two years ago against Sevilla at San Mamés.

The former player, who lifted the Copa trophy on April 6, 2024, after the Bilbao team's victory over Mallorca in the La Cartuja final, made his debut as a head coach this season with Derio. This team, competing in Group IV of Tercera RFEF, is having an excellent campaign, currently holding a play-off spot for promotion to Segunda RFEF.

The management of Derio has expressed their desire for the former player to continue with the team, especially if they achieve promotion. However, they acknowledge that coaching Derio has been both a challenge and a showcase for him, and they accept that he may receive offers from other clubs. His work is also highly regarded by the leadership at Lezama.

Athletic's sporting leadership, headed by Mikel González, has taken note of the former player's trajectory at Derio. This initial coaching experience outside of Lezama validates his capabilities, particularly given the positive results achieved with a squad that has one of the lowest average ages in Tercera RFEF. Furthermore, he knows the club's inner workings intimately, despite not having played for Basconia during his youth career, moving directly from the youth team to the first squad.

Should the former player take over the Basconia bench, he would not be the only former Athletic captain to do so in recent times. Joseba Etxeberria and Patxi Salinas also held the same position, subsequently moving up the hierarchy to manage Bilbao Athletic.