A return to Europe is vital for Athletic

A return to Europe is vital for Athletic. After playing in the Europa League in 24-25 and the Champions League in 25-26, Terzic’s team will not compete on the continental stage this season. Beyond sporting prestige, facing this type of opponent also carries a fundamental financial importance.

The season began on 22 August with a defeat to Sevilla at San Mamés. On Thursday, during the press conference held at the start of each season, Jon Uriarte said the European objective was “assumed by everyone”. The appearance also served to explain the removal of invitations to San Mamés for the majority of rojiblanco groups.

The president presented financial balance as closely tied to European competition. “We will shortly present the accounts and the budget,” he explained. According to him, with the current spending structure, being outside Europe puts the club into losses, albeit controlled ones. If that situation were to be repeated over several financial years, spending would have to be cut, he added. At present, without European participation, income falls just short of covering expenditure, while the club is working towards balance. For Uriarte, the cost structure is that of a club that has to qualify for Europe regularly.

The withdrawal of invitations is set to free up 1,019 seats at San Mamés and bring in €1.3 million per season. The measure has sparked bitter controversy. Expanding San Mamés is another potential source of income, and Ibaigane is already working on it, although the project faces bureaucratic constraints.

Uriarte specified that the expansion would require several works and measures with differing levels of urban-planning complexity. The club is taking the necessary steps to secure permits and wants greater clarity over the number of new seats created through this route, in order to combine them with those made available by the removal of invitations.

The entity had already carried out a test during Zetak’s concert at San Mamés, installing a slight access ramp that allowed two additional seats on each side of every vomitory. The expansion is to be carried out gradually.