Clemente appointed Athletic Bilbao coach
MADRID, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Former Spain coach Javier Clemente has taken charge of struggling Athletic Bilbao after the Primera Liga's bottom club sacked Jose Luis Mendilibar on Monday.
It is 55-year-old Clemente's third spell at Bilbao. He led them to the league title in 1983 and 1984. 'I want to save Bilbao, but it is impossible to do it alone,' Clemente told a news conference. 'We need everyone to come together, those who were for me and those who weren't. The team is in a delicate position but I am enthusiastic and looking forward to working with the players. 'We need the support of the press and the fans, but it is the players who need to get us out of this situation.' Mendilibar, who took over from Ernesto Valverde in June, became the first Spanish top flight coach to lose his job this season which is 10 games old. After an opening day victory against Basque rivals Real Sociedad, the northern club have sunk to the foot of the table with six points. 'It is a very sad and difficult day for the club because it isn't a nice decision to take,' said Bilbao president Fernando Lamikiz. 'We are losing a great coach and a great person who we had hoped would be a long-term appointment.' Clemente has strong links with Athletic Bilbao. Born in nearby Barakaldo, Clemente was a promising striker at the club until a knee injury forced him to retire aged 24. He was appointed Bilbao coach in 1981 and guided them to their first league title since 1956. A year later he led them to a league and cup double. Moving on to Espanyol, he took the Catalan club to the UEFA Cup final in 1988 where they lost to Bayer Leverkusen on penalties. A second spell at Bilbao in 1991 was brief and unsuccessful. He had a six-year stint in charge of the national side and led Spain to the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship. Clemente stepped down in September 1998 after an embarrassing 3-2 defeat by Cyprus in a European Championship qualifier. Since then, Clemente has become something of a specialist at attempting to save clubs from relegation. He had brief spells at Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Espanyol again, and French side Olympique Marseille. Since being sacked by Espanyol in 2003, he has been working as a media pundit.
