Ernesto Valverde’s passion for photography began at age 17, when he used his first paycheck from Alavés to ask a friend in the Canary Islands to buy him a camera for 40,000 pesetas (about 240 euros, a hefty sum at the time). However, it wasn’t until he joined Espanyol in 1986 that he could truly pursue it seriously, enrolling and later graduating from the Institut d’Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya. A successful footballer and coach, Valverde could have just as easily made a living from his other great passion: photography.
As his farewell to Athletic Club draws nearer, with over 500 matches already in the dugout, no one is better positioned than “Txingurri” to capture the free fall Espanyol has experienced in the second half of the season, landing them in a do-or-die situation requiring a win to avoid relegation. That decisive “click” has been attempted with the signing of Monchi as sporting director, a move meant to shake things up. Amid an 18-match winless streak—one game shy of equaling the club’s worst-ever run—plenipotentiary president Alan Pace has kept faith in Manolo González.
After arriving at the Espanyol bench following a miraculous survival against Real Sociedad—which marks its 20th anniversary today—and with the 2007 UEFA Cup runners-up finish on his résumé, Valverde reached midway through the next La Liga season with 36 points, sitting fourth. But he only managed 12 more points in the second half of the campaign. This time, it’s even worse: from 34 points at matchday 19 to 39 with three games left. A clear before-and-after, echoing the title of his first book, “Medio Tiempo” (Halftime).
Ernesto Valverde preparing on the Hampden Park pitch for the 2007 UEFA Cup final between Espanyol and Sevilla. (JOSE LUIS ROCCA)
Always carrying a camera in case inspiration strikes, the Athletic manager can scrutinize, in his beloved black and white, the mysteries of an increasingly harsh and melancholic Espanyol teetering on the edge of survival. It’s all part of the “Border” (his other book) of staying up, much like one of his photo exhibitions shown in Barcelona, Athens, and Bilbao—”Beste aldea”—capturing the view “from the other side.”
Without the injured Nico Williams, Yuri, and Sancet, and in the first match since “one-club man” Lekue announced his retirement, Valverde’s side will take the field at the RCDE Stadium near the European spots but simultaneously in no-man’s land after Sunday’s defeat to Valencia. With 44 points, they would love to see an Espanyol also struggling with absences, such as Calero and Dolan due to suspension.
Ernesto Valverde at the opening of his photographic exhibition ‘Beste aldea’ in 2021. (Athletic Club)
After all, photography isn’t that far removed from the pitch. The Txingurri has a deep admiration for Daido Moriyama, a master of making art from imperfection. And few things are as imperfect as football.