Athletic Club Bilbao – one of Sport’s most unique clubs

Athletic Club Bilbao – one of Sport’s most unique clubs

Earlier this season anyone with a remote interest in football saw Athletic Club come up as underdogs in the Europa league against one of the world’s most famous sporting teams of all time, Manchester United. Like any great underdog story, Los Leones came away with a 5 – 3 victory on aggregate, securing an unimaginable 3 – 2 win at ‘the lion’s den’, Old Trafford, on the way.

This kind of achievement alone would qualify as the highlight of the season for a lot of clubs, but Bilbao’s class runs a lot deeper.

First, a little bit of history. Athletic Club Bilbao sit in the heart of the Basque Country. Bilbao play at the ‘football cathedral’ otherwise known as ‘The San Mamés Stadium’. Legend has it that San Mamés, the namesake of a nearby church, was thrown to the lions by the romans, only for the lions to refuse to eat him. Perhaps it’s that kind of miraculous feat by San Mamés that set the tone for Athletic Club; at least 1000 years before Athletic Club were founded. It is said that San Mamés, travelled with the same Lions as companions – something I deem appropriate.

Bilbao are one of only three sides never to have been relegated from La Liga.
The other two clubs? – Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Currently Bilbao sit 7th in La Liga, and are through to the Semi Finals of the Europa League, the competition in which they have knocked out Manchester United, Shalke and Lokomotiv Moscow.

But this is about more than just a good season for Bilbao and the fact they’ve never been relegated from La Liga. What makes the achievements of Athletic Club over their 113 year history Is that they are the true representation of Bilbao.

Confused? Well Bilbao has a policy, which allows only players from the Basque Country to represent them. It is a policy that has been widely praised and criticised. While it means that players are truly representing Bilbao, and that their average transfer expenditure is much lower than other clubs, due to the fact they can only sign Basque Country players, it is argued that the policy limits Bilbao, with no regulation stopping players from the Basque Country deciding to play for other clubs.

Nevertheless, the limitations that this policy creates surely makes Bilbao’s history even more special and it got me wondering, how many English clubs, could be run in a similar way? Well, I came up with the following side representing the North East of England, I.E. players from Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Teesside. Now I wonder how this side would fare in the Premier League.

Steve Harper (Easington, County Durham.)
Chris Basham (Hebburn, Tyne and Wear)
Matthew Bates (Stockton, Teesside)
Steven Taylor (Born in Greenwich to parents from Whitley Bay, and moved to the area weeks later)
Peter Ramage (Ashington, Tyne and Wear)
Matt Jarvis (Middlesbrough, Teesside)
Lee Cattermole (Stockton, Teesside)
Jack Colback (Killingworth, Tyne and Wear)
Adam Johnson (Easington, County Durham)

Danny Graham (Gateshead, Tyne and Wear)
Andy Carroll (Gateshead, Tyne and Wear)

Well, it isn’t a terrible side, capable of staying up in the Premier League perhaps?
But could it even qualify for the Europa League let along reach the Semis? How often could you imagine that side coming away with 3 points from Old Trafford?

Any thoughts on the story? Think you could come up with a better side? Want to come up with an Athletic Club, from your own region? Tweet me with it at @Jack11RuddEvea.

Bilbao. The football they play is fantastic. I remember against Schalke in the first leg in the 92nd minute the Bilbao keeper had the ball. He could have wasted time but instead he play it out wide, starting off a move that Bilbao ended up scoring with.

http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/athletic-bilbao/startseite/verein_621.html

25 1st team players, only 1 person who isn't eligible to play for Spain (Amorebieta and even then he has a Spanish passport). Wunderbar!

glad you like the article TSC, think its a great policy they have there!

Great article. It is quite remarkable how Bilbao churn out competitive teams year after year given their player recruitment policy. The fact that the club has never been relegated once in it's entire history is truly extraordinary.

I vaguely remember watching a documentary on Bilbao a few years ago and this brought it back to me. Good stuff.

cheeeers, glad you liked it