Athletic Bilbao midfielder Mikel San Jose has stressed that there is no right way to play the game, with the Basque side different under Marcelo Bielsa, when they reached two cup finals, to how they are now under Gaizka Garitano.
Garitano, who replaced Eduardo Berizzo as head coach at Athletic Bilbao last summer, had big shoes to fill when he initially walked through the door at the San Mames Stadium.
However, San Jose feels that Garitano has done a commendable job since taking over at Athletic Bilbao and insists the Spanish Primera Division outfit are now better organised.
The 29-year-old does not want to get into what ways of football are right and brought up Bielsa, who guided Athletic Bilbao to the final of the Europa League and Copa del Rey during his time in Spain, to stress the point.
And San Jose conceded the Los Leones were a bit more open under Bielsa, even though they were successful domestically and in Europe.
Bielsa was lauded for his work at Athletic Bilbao.
“I think they [Berizzo’s and Garitano’s] are two different systems, two ways of seeing the game very differently”, San Jose told Mundo Deportivo.
“With Bielsa we reached the final [of the Europa League and Copa del Rey] and we were a pretty messy team in certain aspects, and I do not think it was bad for us.
“I think we are a team that with the change of coach there has been a change in the way of playing, but I do not think that it was very bad and this is very good.
“I think they are two different ways and if the first one was not quite right, with this one the team are getting very good results.”
Athletic Bilbao are currently 13th in La Liga and will next face bottom-placed Huesca during their next league game on Monday.
