Jon Uriarte sets Athletic’s Europe target and adjusts San Mamés invitations

Athletic have underlined their Europe target following their 22 August loss to Sevilla at San Mamés. In the Thursday season-launch press conference, president Jon Uriarte was blunt: “Returning to Europe is the objective, it is assumed by everyone.”

Money matters

Uriarte linked the sporting goal to the club’s finances. “We will present the accounts and the budget soon. Today, with our expense structure, if we are not in Europe we are in losses, controlled losses… but if it happens over several years, expenses would have to be cut.” He added that, at present, the club is “on the way” to reach balance, because if they miss Europe “income does not cover spending by much”.

San Mamés changes

To improve revenue, the club has removed invitations for most rojiblanco groups, freeing 1,019 seats at San Mamés and bringing in €1.3m per season. Athletic also continues preparations to expand the stadium: Ibaigane is working on it, but the process depends on urban planning permissions and works. The club wants “more clarity regarding the new seats that will come in through this route” and to align them with the invitation policy.

As a test, Athletic implemented a small entry-slope change during the Zetak concert at San Mamés to fit two extra seats on each side of every vomitorium, with the full expansion to be carried out gradually, as Mundo Deportivo reports.