Bilbao (Spain), May 25 (IANS) Spanish football club Athletic Club Bilbao on Monday announced that it had extended the contracts of central defender Xabi Etxeita and goalkeeper Iago Herrerin.

Herrerin, who has been first choice for the club in its successful campaign to qualify for next Saturday’s Copa del Rey final, has extended his contract until June 30, 2017, while Etxeita, who has been a fixture in the heart of the Basque club’s central defence, has agreed a deal until a year later, reports Xinhua.

The club has also taken the opportunity to raise their buyout clauses with Herrerin’s rising to 35 million euros while that of the defender climbed to 40 million euros.

The news comes just days after the announcement that coach Ernesto Valverde had extended his contract for a further year after apparently rejecting an offer from Real Madrid to replace Carlo Ancelotti.

Saturday saw Athletic defeat Villarreal 4-0 to assure a seventh place finish in La Liga and also a spot in European football for the fourth time in five years.