Jon Uriarte selects Carlos Aviña as new Athletic Club sporting director

Athletic Club presidential candidate Jon Uriarte will appoint Carlos Aviña as the club’s new sporting director if elected on Friday 24 June.

Aviña, 31, is currently the sporting director at Belgian club Cercle Brugge, who he joined from Mexican giants Club Ámerica in 2020.

AS Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell has played a part in Aviña’s rise in European football, acting as an advisor to Aviña. Since 2017, Cercle Brugge have been owned by AS Monaco.

Uriarte has yet to reveal who his manager will be. “The name of the coach will be announced in the next few hours. It could be 24 or 48 hours. We’re keeping an eye on the dynamics of the campaign to see what is the best time to release the news,” he said.

Marcelo Bielsa was officially announced by presidential candidate Iñaki Arechabaleta as his manager if he wins at San Mamés on Friday.

Uriarte gave his thoughts on the potential appointment of Bielsa. “I don’t think he is the right person to coach Athletic today. I think that Bielsa’s era is over and that Athletic needs different people, people who do not generate conflict, who do not generate problems after their departure,” he told Radio Bilbao de la SER.

GSFN