Uriarte calls for unity, work and trust to secure safety quickly | OneFootball

Under mounting pressure, Athletic Club president Jon Uriarte has reset the season’s targets, prioritising survival and urging unity, work and trust to get safe as soon as possible. According to El Correo, he addressed a two-hour briefing at San Mamés with director of football Mikel González.

Uriarte said the league return has fallen well short of expectations and that 42 points is the benchmark, with 17 still required. The club sit three points above the drop after matchday 22, having taken only two from the last 18, and he called a swift reaction the top priority.

He backed Ernesto Valverde to lead the recovery, describing him as the right coach, energised and trusted by the dressing room. He appealed for calm on the pitch and for support in the stands, accepting understandable frustration but preferring criticism be aimed at him rather than at players. He said urgings for the players to show more fight did not reflect their commitment.

González framed the slump as multifactorial, with a heavy calendar and injuries weighing on league results. He noted the highest injury incidence in the past eight seasons across the last two years, and expressed confidence that a turnaround can arrive. Uriarte and González also said Nico Williams is dealing with pubalgia and will not undergo surgery.

González said they have hired and consulted specialists, invested in technology, promoted B-team players and leaned on senior leaders, while a lighter schedule should aid recovery. Uriarte, who announced in October his intention to run again, said he remains worried yet hopeful and feels able to steer the team to those 17 points, while adjusting ambitions accordingly.

Source: El Correo