Carlo Gurpegui lives football from the sideline. After many years as a footballer, the 41-year-old Navarrese made his debut this season as head coach. The one from Andosilla hung up his boots in 2016 after 15 seasons and 393 first-team appearances. The following year he was Valverde’s assistant, in a role similar to the one that Joseba Etxeberria had performed before, and this season He has gone from being the second coach of Bilbao Athletic (1st RFEF) to being the first coach of Basconia, with whom he will fight this weekend in the qualifying rounds for promotion to the Second RFEF. “Life has taught me that there is nothing like living in the present and thinking little about the future. Five years ago my best friend left…we spent Easter talking about what we were going to do and we did nothing. I am a coach of present,” he stressed.
The Navarrese strengthens his formation, now with a team he arrived at in the middle of the season after Athletic decided to relieve Bilbao Athletic’s coaching staff (Imanol de la Sota was head coach and Gurpegui assistant) to promote Patxi Salinas. Gurpegui then filled Patxi’s place in the second subsidiary and will now fight Basconia for promotion. “This year I have lived two very different moments. From July to December with Bilbao Athletic as second coach were difficult months because we couldn’t get the team to function as we would have liked. Later, as Basconia’s first coach, everything has been a joy. The Process from December to May is wonderful. The guys have made the job a lot easier.“, he commented.
Gurpegui will lead Basconia this weekend at the start of the playoff against Beasain. “If the playoff is exciting, above all, it’s because of the boys. They are kids that many were in youth last year and deserve this tie, which I’m sure will not be the last. We go with all the hope of continuing to do things well. What The kids have achieved this time has a lot of merit”, he commented.
frame as technician in jump gear from training to professionalismGurpegui did not make much reference to the elections. He already said that he is a present guy. “Whatever happens with the elections and that whoever comes thinks of the best for Athletic. I am very clear about where I am, what the needs of the club are and that the important thing is the kids“, he pointed.
