Discover Ath Bilbao
# Athletic Bilbao – Basque pride and a club that refuses to surrender its identity
Athletic Club, widely known outside Spain as Athletic Bilbao, is far more than a football team. For the people of Bilbao and the wider Basque Country, it represents local pride, tradition and a powerful sense of belonging. Founded in 1898 and influenced by British sailors and Basque students who had discovered football in the United Kingdom, Athletic gradually became one of the great institutions of Spanish football.
## A unique Basque philosophy
Athletic are famous for a recruitment philosophy unlike almost anything else at the highest level of European football. The club fields players who were either born in the Basque Country or developed at the academies of clubs within the wider Euskal Herria region on the Spanish or French side of the border.
The policy is therefore based on a player’s place of birth or football education rather than nationality or family ancestry. It significantly limits Athletic’s options in the transfer market, but it also creates an extraordinary bond between the team, its supporters and the region it represents. At the heart of this system is the Lezama academy, opened in 1971 and responsible for developing generations of first-team players and club legends.
## Success and a remarkable history
Despite voluntarily restricting their pool of players, Athletic remain one of Spain’s most successful clubs. They have won eight league championships, 25 Copa del Rey trophies and three Spanish Super Cups. Alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, Athletic also belong to the select group of clubs that have never been relegated from Spain’s top division.
Athletic have reached two UEFA Cup or Europa League finals. They narrowly lost to Juventus in 1977 before returning to the final in 2012, when an exciting European campaign ended in defeat against Atlético Madrid in Bucharest.
One of the most emotional moments in the club’s modern history arrived in 2024. Athletic defeated Mallorca on penalties to win their 25th Copa del Rey and lift the trophy for the first time in 40 years. The famous La Gabarra barge subsequently returned to the River Nervión, with around one million supporters joining the celebrations along its banks.
## San Mamés – the Cathedral of football
Athletic play at San Mamés, universally known as “La Catedral” – the Cathedral. The original stadium opened in 1913 and was replaced exactly a century later by a modern arena constructed almost on the same site. The current San Mamés holds more than 53,000 spectators and is regarded as one of Spain’s most impressive football grounds.
A matchday here is much more than a sporting event. Bilbao’s red-and-white streets, the club anthem and the noise generated by the steep stands reflect the unusually close relationship between Athletic and its home city.
## The Basque derby
Athletic’s greatest regional rivals are Real Sociedad from San Sebastián. Their meetings are known as the Euskal Derbia, or the Basque derby. The rivalry between the leading clubs of Biscay and Gipuzkoa is intense, but it is also considered one of the most respectful rivalries in Spanish football. Families and groups of friends divided between the two teams are a common sight around the fixture.
Athletic also share a long and competitive Copa del Rey history with Barcelona. The 1984 final ended in a 1–0 victory for Athletic, completing a league and cup double, but the occasion was overshadowed by a mass confrontation between the players after the final whistle. It remains one of the most controversial scenes in the history of Spanish cup finals.
## Legends and traditions
One of Athletic’s first great stars was Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, better known as Pichichi. Spain’s award for the league’s leading goalscorer is named in his honour. Captains of clubs making their first visit to San Mamés traditionally place flowers beside his bust at the stadium.
Another immortal figure is Telmo Zarra, Athletic’s all-time leading scorer with 335 goals. Legendary goalkeeper José Ángel Iribar, Julen Guerrero, Andoni Zubizarreta, Aritz Aduriz and long-serving captain Iker Muniain are also among the defining names in the club’s history.
Athletic’s recruitment philosophy is admired as a romantic alternative to football’s global transfer market, although it also creates regular debate about exactly which players should qualify to represent the club. Athletic’s ability to maintain that tradition while competing against some of Europe’s richest teams is precisely what makes the club one of the most fascinating institutions in world football.
Athletic Club, widely known outside Spain as Athletic Bilbao, is far more than a football team. For the people of Bilbao and the wider Basque Country, it represents local pride, tradition and a powerful sense of belonging. Founded in 1898 and influenced by British sailors and Basque students who had discovered football in the United Kingdom, Athletic gradually became one of the great institutions of Spanish football.
## A unique Basque philosophy
Athletic are famous for a recruitment philosophy unlike almost anything else at the highest level of European football. The club fields players who were either born in the Basque Country or developed at the academies of clubs within the wider Euskal Herria region on the Spanish or French side of the border.
The policy is therefore based on a player’s place of birth or football education rather than nationality or family ancestry. It significantly limits Athletic’s options in the transfer market, but it also creates an extraordinary bond between the team, its supporters and the region it represents. At the heart of this system is the Lezama academy, opened in 1971 and responsible for developing generations of first-team players and club legends.
## Success and a remarkable history
Despite voluntarily restricting their pool of players, Athletic remain one of Spain’s most successful clubs. They have won eight league championships, 25 Copa del Rey trophies and three Spanish Super Cups. Alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, Athletic also belong to the select group of clubs that have never been relegated from Spain’s top division.
Athletic have reached two UEFA Cup or Europa League finals. They narrowly lost to Juventus in 1977 before returning to the final in 2012, when an exciting European campaign ended in defeat against Atlético Madrid in Bucharest.
One of the most emotional moments in the club’s modern history arrived in 2024. Athletic defeated Mallorca on penalties to win their 25th Copa del Rey and lift the trophy for the first time in 40 years. The famous La Gabarra barge subsequently returned to the River Nervión, with around one million supporters joining the celebrations along its banks.
## San Mamés – the Cathedral of football
Athletic play at San Mamés, universally known as “La Catedral” – the Cathedral. The original stadium opened in 1913 and was replaced exactly a century later by a modern arena constructed almost on the same site. The current San Mamés holds more than 53,000 spectators and is regarded as one of Spain’s most impressive football grounds.
A matchday here is much more than a sporting event. Bilbao’s red-and-white streets, the club anthem and the noise generated by the steep stands reflect the unusually close relationship between Athletic and its home city.
## The Basque derby
Athletic’s greatest regional rivals are Real Sociedad from San Sebastián. Their meetings are known as the Euskal Derbia, or the Basque derby. The rivalry between the leading clubs of Biscay and Gipuzkoa is intense, but it is also considered one of the most respectful rivalries in Spanish football. Families and groups of friends divided between the two teams are a common sight around the fixture.
Athletic also share a long and competitive Copa del Rey history with Barcelona. The 1984 final ended in a 1–0 victory for Athletic, completing a league and cup double, but the occasion was overshadowed by a mass confrontation between the players after the final whistle. It remains one of the most controversial scenes in the history of Spanish cup finals.
## Legends and traditions
One of Athletic’s first great stars was Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, better known as Pichichi. Spain’s award for the league’s leading goalscorer is named in his honour. Captains of clubs making their first visit to San Mamés traditionally place flowers beside his bust at the stadium.
Another immortal figure is Telmo Zarra, Athletic’s all-time leading scorer with 335 goals. Legendary goalkeeper José Ángel Iribar, Julen Guerrero, Andoni Zubizarreta, Aritz Aduriz and long-serving captain Iker Muniain are also among the defining names in the club’s history.
Athletic’s recruitment philosophy is admired as a romantic alternative to football’s global transfer market, although it also creates regular debate about exactly which players should qualify to represent the club. Athletic’s ability to maintain that tradition while competing against some of Europe’s richest teams is precisely what makes the club one of the most fascinating institutions in world football.
