It Was What It Was
From Arteta to Alonso: The Rise of Basque Coaches
Published: 7 March 2025 at 05:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Welcome back to It Was What It Was.
Mikel Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal, Unai Emery’s tactical mastery, Xabi Alonso’s meteoric rise at Bayer Leverkusen, and Andoni Iraola’s fearless pressing at AFC Bournemouth all highlight a remarkable trend: A new wave of coaches shaping the modern game, many of them from the Basque Country.
But why does this small region produce so many elite managers? Is it the coaching philosophy, the deep footballing culture, or something ingrained in the Basque identity?
This is the story of how a new generation of Basque coaches are redefining football.
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