Athletic Bilbao
Spanish football team.
Athletic Club Bilbao is a professional football club based in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. Founded in 1898, it is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Spanish football. The club plays its home matches at the San Mamés Stadium, which has a capacity of 53,289 spectators and is nicknamed "La Catedral" (The Cathedral) due to its importance in Spanish football history.
Athletic Club is known for its unique policy of only fielding players of Basque descent, a philosophy that has been maintained since the club's founding. This policy, known as the "cantera policy," has made Athletic Club a symbol of Basque identity and pride. Despite this self-imposed limitation, the club has remained competitive at the highest level of Spanish football throughout its history.
The club's colors are red and white vertical stripes for the shirt and black shorts, earning them the nickname "Los Leones" (The Lions) due to their red and white colors resembling a lion's mane. Athletic Club has never been relegated from La Liga, a distinction they share with only Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Throughout its history, Athletic Club has won 8 La Liga titles, with their most recent championship coming in the 1983-84 season. They have also claimed 23 Copa del Rey titles, making them the second most successful club in the competition's history, behind Barcelona. Their most recent Copa del Rey victory came in 2021, ending a 37-year trophy drought.
Athletic Club's golden era came in the 1930s when they won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1930 to 1933. The club has also enjoyed success in European competitions, reaching the final of the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) in 1977 and 2012, although they were runners-up on both occasions.
The club is renowned for producing talented players through its youth academy, Lezama. Many of Spain's most famous players have come through Athletic's ranks, including Joseba Etxeberria, Julen Guerrero, and more recently, Iker Muniain and Iñaki Williams.
Athletic Club's biggest rivalry is with Real Sociedad, another Basque club, in what is known as the Basque derby. These matches are always highly anticipated and reflect the strong regional identity of the Basque Country.
As of 2024, Athletic Club continues to compete in La Liga, maintaining its status as one of the most respected and unique clubs in world football.