Marcelo Bielsa will not be returning to Athletic Bilbao as manager after the club's presidential elections saw Jon Urriate win with 47.7% of the vote. Urriate has pledged to appoint former Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde, ending Bielsa's hopes of a second stint at San Mames.
Bielsa had been linked with the role after Iñaki Arechabaleta, the candidate who finished second, selected the Argentine as his coaching choice. However, Arechabaleta's defeat means Bielsa's search for a new job continues following his departure from Leeds United in February.
Valverde, who won back-to-back LaLiga titles with Barcelona, is expected to be appointed by Urriate. The 58-year-old previously managed Athletic Bilbao in two spells, overseeing 306 games—more than any other manager in the club's history—and leading them to the Champions League in 2014 and the Spanish Super Cup in 2015.
Valverde replaces Marcelino, who stepped down in May after Athletic finished eighth in LaLiga. The third-place candidate, Ricardo Barkala, had approached Mauricio Pochettino but was turned down, leading him to also back Valverde.
