[2] José María Amorrortu, normally in charge of Athletic Bilbao B, stepped up until the end of the season, but in July Dragoslav Stepanović was appointed as a permanent replacement.
Stepanović's reign began well, with a 4–0 victory over Racing Santander at San Mamés on the opening day of their La Liga campaign.
[3] However, in January Athletic were eliminated in the last sixteen of the Copa del Rey by Real Zaragoza,[3] and by mid April were 15th in the league, having won just eight of their first 31 games.
[4] Following a 1–0 home defeat by Valencia on 17 March, and with the team only four points clear of the relegation playoff zone,[4] Bilbao decided to replace Stepanović with immediate effect.
He wasn't able to drastically improve Athletic's fortunes, although they did win three more matches before the end of the season, and finish clear of relegation danger in 15th place.