Edin Terzic, the new head coach of Athletic Club, has declared European qualification a primary target for the 2025-26 La Liga season, expressing confidence in his squad's quality just days before the campaign opener against Sevilla. The German coach, who took charge at Bilbao this summer, arrives with a strong pre-season record and a clear mandate to lift the club from its 12th-place finish last term.

Terzic's European Ambition

Speaking ahead of Athletic's home fixture against Sevilla, Terzic was direct about his goals. 'The team, based on quality, is ready to play in Europe,' he said. 'If we deserve it, it will be because we work harder and better, and that will prepare us. Europe is one of our objectives.'

The 43-year-old, formerly in charge of Borussia Dortmund, took over at San Mamés after Ernesto Valverde stepped down following the conclusion of his fourth season in his third spell at the club. Athletic's inconsistency throughout 2024-25 — culminating in a mid-table finish — made a managerial change inevitable.

Promising Pre-Season Signs

Terzic has drawn encouragement from the club's pre-season campaign, in which Athletic suffered just one defeat. For a squad rebuilding its identity under a new coach, that record offers a credible platform. The Basque club's unique recruitment policy — fielding only players of Basque origin — means Terzic must extract maximum value from a defined talent pool, making tactical cohesion and motivation central to his approach.

Coach on Pressure and Club Identity

Terzic addressed the expectations that come with managing one of Spanish football's most distinctive clubs. 'In football, everyone talks about pressure, but there's pressure in everything in life. I don't feel that external pressure; the pressure is internal. Nobody can put more pressure on me than I put on myself,' he said.

He also spoke of being moved by the club's deep community roots. 'I see the connection people have with the club, and you feel the pride. It doesn't matter how old you are, whether you're a man, woman, boy or girl, everyone feels a connection to the club, and that makes me very proud to coach this team,' Terzic added.

Yeray Álvarez Signs New Deal Through 2028

Separately, Athletic Club confirmed that central defender Yeray Álvarez has signed a contract extension running through June 2028. The deal resolves prolonged uncertainty around the 31-year-old, a one-club man who has made 259 first-team appearances for Athletic.

Álvarez's career has been marked by extraordinary resilience. He underwent two spells of cancer treatment, and was further sidelined until April this season after serving a 10-month UEFA suspension for testing positive for a banned substance contained in medication prescribed to him to prevent hair loss following his cancer treatment.

Sporting director Mikel González praised the defender on the club's official website: 'Yeray is always a reliable performer. He's a centre-back who wins his duels, has great concentration and a winning mentality. He has shown tremendous resilience in overcoming adversity throughout his career.'

With Terzic's European ambitions set and a key defender committed to the club, Athletic Club head into the new La Liga season with renewed purpose — and the pressure of expectations squarely on the coach's own shoulders.