Valverde's third spell in charge of Athletic Club now has an end date. The coach from Cáceres will step down from the San Mamés bench after the last of the 10 remaining matches in the 2025/26 LaLiga season.
The 62-year-old is the manager who has led the Lions the most times and will reach 500 games in charge of the Bilbao side before the season ends - he currently has 494.
"Next season I won't be Athletic's coach. It's a decision I've thought about for a long time, discussed with the Club, and I wanted to share it with you", Valverde said directly in his statement.
"At the same time, I want to highlight that we still have 10 important league games left, starting this Sunday against Betis. 10 matches in which we want to achieve our goals, where there's a lot at stake, where we'll give everything, and undoubtedly, if we all stick together, we can achieve it, no question", he added.
This decision comes after a historic season in which Valverde led the Lions to compete in the Champions League.