Yeray gets match-ready at Athletic after a tough ban

Yeray is now taking part in regular sessions with Athletic Club and has become a real option for Terzic, according to Mundo Deportivo. But the central arrives in a new phase after an extremely tough year: he had to serve a 10-month doping ban, which cut short nearly all of last season.

Back to training after the ban

The report says he couldn’t return to competition until April. Even before that, he was not allowed to train at Lezama until February, leaving a narrow window to regain fitness in the right way.

Estíbariz kept him in shape

Eduardo Estíbariz was the person who kept him working when he couldn’t train with the group. In comments to Radio Bilbao’s ‘Ser Deportivos’, Estíbariz explained how it started: “No podía entrenar con el Derio… Me llamaron un viernes y me dijeron ‘¿nos puedes hacer el favor de entrenar a Yeray por las mañanas?’”. At that moment, Estíbariz was with Gernika, and this campaign he’s with Sestao River.

Mundo Deportivo adds that Estíbariz trained Yeray for four months, two or three days a week—from October to January. The plan was done at Sondika and also included gym work to strengthen the body, plus sessions involving hypoxia.

Sessions built for match situations

The training wasn’t generic: it was designed around what Yeray would face in games—changes of direction, diagonal runs, passes into the inside channel, defending wide crosses, clearing duties or finishing in advanced positions, pressing after a failed pass, defending the area, quick reactions, set-piece-like heading and cover work. Estíbariz even joked that he’s still waiting for Yeray to score from those late runs, hoping it finally happens at San Mamés.