Athletic Club Season in Review: Cigars, but mythical season lingers out of reach | OneFootball

With the European season officially at an end, Football España will be reviewing each and every one of the La Liga sides and how they fared this season.

Results

La Liga: 4th

Copa del Rey: Round of 16

Europa League: Semi-final

Top Goalscorer: Oihan Sancet – 17

Top Assister: Alex Berenguer – 10

Season Summary

The year started off well, with Athletic Club streaking ahead in the race for a top four place, and looking strong. Despite the slow start from Nico Williams, Athletic were one of the hardest teams to beat in La Liga, and would finish with the joint-fewest losses in the division. As Real Madrid found out at San Mames in November, where Athletic played them off the park.

As the season progressed, Athletic looked increasingly comfortable in fourth spot, and at the same time, the impossible dream of a Europa League final at San Mames became all too real. At precisely that point, things began hit roadblocks. The impact of January signing Maroan Sannadi faded, and Gorka Guruzeta couldn’t get back into the goals. Oihan Sancet’s absences robbed the team of their top goalscorer, and neither of the Williams brothers managed to replicate their best form come the semi-finals against Manchester United.

Image via Getty Images

Verdict: A

On paper, this is a brilliant season. Ernesto Valverde, the season after winning their first major trophy in 40 years, has them back in the Champions League for the first time in a decade. After years of absence from European competition, he also took the team to a European semi-final. It is nonetheless a pity that the European dream ended in such violent and brusque fashion, and that feeling of disappointment has tinged the end of the season, where more people talked about their limitations than their virtues. Make no mistake though, this is their second-best season in decades.

Player of the Season: Dani Vivian

Athletic had one of the best defences in Spain, and really, they had no right to. Oihan Sancet makes a strong claim to this award, but the one constant in that backline was the superhero Dani Vivian. Despite his sending off against Manchester United, he glued together at backline that had a rotating cast in every one of the other five positions in the backline, including goalkeeper. His pace, power and command of the backline give meaning to the club nickname ‘Los Leones’.

Pleasant Surprise of the Season: Mikel Jauregizar

As far as we’re aware, domestic technology is limited to the electronic hoover, but human biology has the robot mop, in the form of Mikel Jauregizar. Improved on the ball, he was a nightmare for opposition midfields all season, and beat out Benat Prados and Mikel Vesga for a spot alongside Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta.

Image via Cordon Press

If only we could have had a bit more from: Nico Williams

There is a reason we haven’t termed this section a flop, beyond the obvious derogatory nature of it, and Nico Williams did not flop this season. Despite a mercurial performance against AS Roma, the feeling was that Williams, who admitted that his slow start to the season was down to dealing with the pressure of his new-found stardom, lacked one or two big nights. A good season, but he has the ability to raise the ceiling of this Athletic.

On the horizon, you can see…

Next season promises to be a thrilling one, back in Europe’s premier competition. With Valverde at the helm, better hands they could not find to put themselves in. Athletic also showed this season that they could handle the fixture congestion of European football, a major positive for a side that plays with such intensity.

The big question will be the future of Nico Williams, and whether they can hang onto him. Alvaro Djalo did not look like his replacement this season, nor did he show signs of being it in the future. Whether it is Sannadi or Guruzeta up front, Athletic need a touch more from the number nine spot.