‘Iconic’ is an over-used word these days, but one that could accurately be applied to San Mames, the crumbling stadium in Bilbao vacated by Athletic Club at the end of last season after a 100-year residence.

Alongside the ambitious objective of constructing a new San Mames on the site of the ‘Cathedral’, Athletic replaced controversial Coach Marcelo Bielsa with local hero Ernesto Valverde, veteran of over 170 appearances in the 1990s and returning for a second spell in charge.

San Mames was not ready for the new season and Athletic were forced to lodge with Basque neighbours Real Sociedad. At the same time, the widely–held view was that, much like their new home, Athletic under Valverde were a work in progress as the new Coach set about restoring the team’s self-belief and cohesion. A disastrous season in 2012-13 had seen Bielsa’s men flirting dangerously with relegation and appearing mere shadows of the exciting young side that reached the Europa League Final just a year earlier.

By November, Athletic were fifth with 23 points from 13 games, their best start to a season since the introduction of three points for a win in 1995-96. Nevertheless, despite the upturn in fortunes under the new Coach, many of the notoriously hard-to-please Bilbao faithful were critical of Valverde’s style. Weak at the back and dull in attack, many felt stability had come at a price, with stars Iker Muniain, Benat Etxebarria and Ander Herrera all under-achieving.

Questions about Athletic’s right to be talked about in the same breath as the top three appeared to be answered in the early weeks of the season as they were comfortably beaten 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu and 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon. While Valverde had steered the side round to face the right direction, it seemed that a Europa League spot would represent the summit of their ambitions.

All that changed when, barely a month after losing to Atletico, the Basques became the first side to inflict defeat on Barcelona, Muniain’s 70th minute strike sending the Bilbao fans into raptures and the rest of La Liga finally taking notice of the resurgent Leones. Even that result failed to establish any real consistency and the New Year began with defeat at neighbouring La Real, confirming sceptics’ views that Athletic’s away form would prove their undoing.

That was their cue, however, for Valverde’s men to rally, blitzing 15 goals in three successive games as Almeria and Valladolid were humbled 6-1 and 4-2 respectively at San Mames and Osasuna succumbed 5-1 in Pamplona. 24-year-old Ibai Gomez hit five of those 15 goals, following up with a beauty with only his second touch as Athletic held Real Madrid last Sunday. With goals failing to materialise in significant numbers from more expected sources, Ibai has hit eight in 16 appearances, making him comfortably the club’s leading scorer in La Liga.

The emergence of Ibai is an illustration of how Valverde has maintained the core of Bielsa’s young squad and altered the way it plays. He has injected the excitement demanded by the fans by allowing talented youngsters like Ibai to express themselves and deliver results in the process. Still undefeated at their new home and sitting fourth in La Liga, few would dispute that Athletic are well on course for a Champions League place. 

La Liga - Club News