The details of Txus Vidorreta's arrival at Unicaja Malaga
The Basque coach, who terminated his contract with La Laguna Tenerife days ago, has signed with the Andalusian team until 2028, thus closing one of the most surprising operations in Spanish basketball.
Just a few days ago, Unicaja de Málaga and Ibon Navarro ended a successful period together. Almost simultaneously, Txus Vidorreta and La Laguna Tenerife also decided to part ways. What no one expected was that both events would lead to an announcement that has shaken up the landscape of the Liga Endesa: the coach from Bilbao becomes the new coach of the Malaga team for the next two seasons, signing until 2028.
The agreement represents a firm commitment by Unicaja to one of the most prestigious coaches in Spanish basketball. Vidorreta, who will turn 60 next Saturday, arrives in Malaga with a track record that supports his experience and competitive ability. For over two decades, he has coached in the top category of Spanish basketball, establishing himself as a key figure in the development of winning projects.
A Career Built on Excellence
Txus Vidorreta's professional basketball career began in 1998 as the coach of UB La Palma in Liga EBA, where he achieved promotion to LEB 2 in 2000. However, it was his arrival at Bilbao Basket in 2001 that marked a turning point in his career. In just three seasons, the Basque coach managed to take the Basque team from the third division of Spanish basketball to the Liga Endesa, a promotion that was achieved in the 2003-04 season after dominating the LEB competition.
Since his debut in the top category in 2004, Vidorreta has never stopped coaching in the Liga Endesa. His tenure at Bilbao Basket lasted for an additional six seasons, reaching the Playoffs in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. Subsequently, his experience led him to coach Lucentum Alicante (2010-12), Estudiantes (2012-15), Valencia Basket (2017-18), and finally La Laguna Tenerife, where he has left an indelible mark on Spanish basketball.
His record includes 741 games coached in the Liga Endesa, making him the fifth coach with the most matches in the national competition. On a European level, he is the only coach in the history of the Basketball Champions League to have surpassed 100 victories, achieving 114 wins in 156 games played.
The Golden Decade in La Laguna Tenerife
Undoubtedly, Vidorreta's most fruitful period has been his time at La Laguna Tenerife, where he spent 10 seasons in two different cycles (2015-17 and 2018-26). He joined the Canarian team in matchday 5 of the 2015-16 season, replacing Alejandro Martínez, and since then has turned the team into a European basketball powerhouse.
During his time in the Canary Islands, Vidorreta won two Basketball Champions League titles in the Tenerife 2017 and Bilbao 2022 editions. Additionally, he clinched two FIBA Intercontinental Cups in 2020 and 2023, establishing the yellow and black team as one of the most prominent in the continental competition. In the Liga Endesa, the coach and his team have reached the Playoffs in the last six seasons, making it to the semifinals on three occasions (2021, 2025, and 2026).
The most recent highlight of this period was the elimination of Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Playoffs last season, with a 1-2 result in favor of the Canarian team. This victory made La Laguna Tenerife the second team in Liga Endesa history to eliminate the regular season leader in the first Playoff round while being in eighth place. The only precedent for this feat was Unicaja in the 2007-08 season.
Recognitions and International Career
Vidorreta's successes have been individually acknowledged with several prestigious awards. In 2017, he was named Coach of the Year in the Liga Endesa. In 2025, he received the Coach of the Year award in the Basketball Champions League, and during the Badalona 2026 Final Four, he was honored as Coach of the Decade in the European competition.
His involvement in international competitions is also noteworthy. He was part of the coaching staff of the Spanish National Team as an assistant, contributing to the gold medal at Eurobasket 2015 and the bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics. In the Copa del Rey, he has participated in the tournament 13 times, the last 10 consecutively, reaching the final in Badalona 2023, where he was defeated by Unicaja with a score of 83-80.
His collective achievements include four titles with La Laguna Tenerife and a Supercopa Endesa won with Valencia Basket. These accomplishments reflect the high level of competitiveness he has instilled year after year in his various coaching stints.
A Commitment to Continuity in Málaga
Vidorreta's arrival at Unicaja marks the starting point to establish a solid foundation in a new phase for the Malaga club. The Andalusian entity aims to continue striving for the highest levels, as has been the case in the last five years. With a coach of Vidorreta's experience and prestige on the bench, Unicaja seeks to regain its prominence in the top category of Spanish and European basketball.
The agreement until 2028 reflects the trust placed in the coach from Bilbao to lead a medium-term project. After a decade of leaving a mark on Spanish basketball with La Laguna Tenerife, Vidorreta now faces the challenge of restoring Unicaja to the levels of competitiveness that define his professional career. His arrival marks the end of a surprising cycle in which two of the main Liga Endesa projects have simultaneously undergone changes in their coaching staff, opening a new chapter in Spanish basketball history.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los detalles de la llegada de Txus Vidorreta a Unicaja Málaga
