Gaizka Garitano

On 4 April 2019, Garitano signed a contract extension at the San Mamés Stadium to run until 30 June 2020.

In summer 2017, Garitano was appointed head coach of Bilbao Athletic, replacing José Ángel Ziganda who had been promoted to manager of the first team. He remained in that position until 4 December 2018, when it became his turn to be handed the senior role after Eduardo Berizzo, who had followed on from Ziganda's one-year stint, was also dismissed after an even shorter spell.

On 10 June 2016, Garitano replaced Víctor Sánchez as Deportivo de La Coruña manager. Eight months later, with the team inside the relegation zone, he was sacked.

On 6 July 2015, Garitano was appointed at the helm of Real Valladolid, replacing fired Rubi. On 21 October, as the side ranked dead last, he was sacked.

Garitano repeated the feat the following season, topping the table and leading Eibar to the club's first ever top flight promotion. In June 2014, he renewed his contract.

In 2014–15, the team collected 27 points from the first 19 games but, after only eight in the following 19, was finally relegated back in spite of a 3–0 home win over Córdoba CF in the last matchday (they would later be reinstated at the expense of Elche CF). Subsequently, Garitano presented his resignation, stating he did not merit to continue.

Immediately after retiring, having appeared in more than 300 matches in Spain's second level, Garitano moved into coaching, serving as assistant at also freshly relegated Eibar. After a stint in charge of the reserves he was appointed first-team manager for the 2012–13 campaign, which included the elimination of Athletic Bilbao – the previous year's finalists – from the Copa del Rey, and ended in promotion.

In 2009, Garitano entered coaching with Eibar, and became the first team coach in 2012. He won consecutive promotions in his first two years, and reached the top division with the club in 2014.

Over 11 seasons, he amassed Segunda División totals of 315 matches and 37 goals, mainly with Bilbao Athletic and Eibar. In La Liga, he represented Real Sociedad during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 campaigns.

Garitano would soon make his first top flight appearances with Real Sociedad, already aged 30, his debut coming on 27 August 2005 in a 0–3 away defeat in the Basque derby. After three seasons in San Sebastián, during which he was an important first-team member but endured relegation in 2007, he joined neighbours Deportivo Alavés, retiring in June 2009 at 34 after their descent into the third division.

In the summer of 1999, Garitano joined Segunda División B team CD Ourense. He finally settled at Eibar in Segunda División – his second spell – and, in the 2004–05 season, as club captain, led the side to a fourth place in the league, with chances of an historic La Liga promotion until the last matchday.

Garitano was born in Bilbao, Basque Country. Grown through the ranks of Athletic Bilbao, he would however never make it past the reserves, his sole first team appearance being as a late substitute in a UEFA Cup win away to UC Sampdoria in 1997, also serving loans with modest clubs including SD Eibar.

Gaizka Garitano Aguirre (born 9 July 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a midfielder, and the current manager of Athletic Bilbao.