Athletic Bilbao facts for kids
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| Full name | Athletic Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Lehoiak (The Lions) Zuri-Gorriak (The Red and Whites) |
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| Founded | 18 July 1898 | |||
| Ground | Estadio San Mamés | |||
| Capacity | 53,289 | |||
| President | Jon Uriarte | |||
| Head coach | Ernesto Valverde | |||
| League | La Liga | |||
| 2022–23 | La Liga, 8th of 20 | |||
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Athletic Club, often called Athletic Bilbao by people outside Spain, is a professional football team from the city of Bilbao in the Basque Country, Spain. They are nicknamed Los Leones (The Lions). This is because their stadium, San Mamés Stadium, is built near a church named after Saint Mammes. Legend says Saint Mammes was thrown to lions by the Romans but managed to calm them.
Athletic is one of Spain's most successful clubs. They have won La Liga (the top Spanish league) eight times. They are also second only to Barcelona in Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) titles, with 24 wins. Their women's team is also very successful, having won five championships in the Primera División Femenina.
Athletic is one of only three teams that have never been relegated from the top division since it started in 1929. The other two are Real Madrid and Barcelona. These clubs, along with Osasuna, are special because they are owned by their club members, not by companies. Athletic's main rivals are Real Sociedad, in a game called the Basque derby, and Real Madrid. They also have a smaller rivalry with Barcelona.
The club is famous for its cantera policy. This means they focus on developing young Basque players from their own youth system. They also sign players who were born or trained in the greater Basque Country. This area includes parts of Spain and France. Since 1912, Athletic has only played with players who meet these special rules. This policy has earned them both fans and critics. People praise them for supporting local talent and building strong club loyalty. However, this rule does not apply to coaches, as many non-Basques have managed the team.
Even though their name is 'Athletic Club' in English, they are not a multi-sport club. They only play football. In the past, before the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, they had sections for cycling and other sports.
Contents
History of Athletic Club
How Football Started in Bilbao
Football came to Bilbao thanks to two groups with British connections. One group was British workers, and the other was Basque students who had studied in Britain. In the late 1800s, Bilbao was a big industrial city. Many British workers, especially from places like Southampton and Sunderland, moved there. They brought football with them.
At the same time, young Basque students, like Juan Astorquia, went to study in Britain. They loved football there. When they came back, they started playing games with the British workers at the Hippodrome of Lamiako. This place was the center of football in the area.
In 1898, Juan Astorquia and six other Basque students started playing football regularly. Three years later, in 1901, they decided to form an official football club. They called it Athletic Club, using the English spelling. Luis Márquez became the first president.
In 1902, Athletic and their city rivals, Bilbao Football Club, decided to combine their best players. They formed a team called Club Bizcaya. This team played in the Copa de la Coronación, which was the first version of the Copa del Rey. Bizcaya won the trophy in Madrid, beating Joan Gamper's FC Barcelona 2–1 in the final. On March 24, 1903, Bilbao FC officially joined Athletic Club.
In the same year, some Basque students also started a team called Athletic Club Madrid. This team later became Atlético Madrid. Athletic Club itself says it was founded in 1898.
Pichichi and Early Cup Wins
Athletic Club was very successful in the early Copa del Rey tournaments. After Club Bizcaya won in 1902, the new Athletic Bilbao won the first official Copa del Rey in 1903. They won again in 1904 because their opponents didn't show up. They won again in 1910.
In 1911, Alejandro de la Sota became president. He helped build the San Mamés Stadium, which opened in 1913. This stadium became a symbol of Athletic's strength. They won the Copa del Rey three times in a row from 1914 to 1916, with Billy Barnes as coach. After a short break, they won the Copa del Rey again in 1921.
The star player of this time was Pichichi. He was a great goalscorer. He scored the first goal at San Mamés in 1913. He also scored three goals (a hat-trick) in the 1915 final. Pichichi won his last championship in 1921 before he sadly passed away at just 29 years old in 1922. Today, the award for the top scorer in La Liga is called the Pichichi in his honor.
Fred Pentland and the "First Historic Attack"
Athletic was one of the founding teams of La Liga in 1928. In the early days, many teams in the top division were from the Basque Country. This showed how strong local talent was.
In 1922, a new English coach, Fred Pentland, joined Athletic. He helped the club win the Copa del Rey in 1923. He changed how Athletic played, focusing on short passes. Pentland left in 1927 but came back in 1929. He led the team to win both La Liga and the Copa del Rey in 1930 and 1931. The club won the Copa del Rey four times in a row from 1930 to 1933. They also finished second in La Liga in 1932 and 1933. In 1931, Athletic beat Barcelona 12–1, which is still Barcelona's worst defeat and Athletic's biggest win in La Liga history.
Another English coach, William Garbutt, continued Athletic's success. In his first season in Spain, 1935–36, he won the La Liga title. He had a very talented team. Their attacking players were known as Primera delantera histórica (meaning First historic attack). These players included Lafuente, José Iraragorri, Bata (who was La Liga's top scorer in 1930–31), Chirri II, and Guillermo Gorostiza. Goalkeeper Gregorio Blasco was also excellent.
Football stopped in July 1936 because of the Spanish Civil War. The league didn't start again until 1939–40. Athletic Club didn't win the title again until 1943.
Zarra and the "Second Historic Attack"
In 1941, the club had to change its name to Atlético Bilbao. This was due to a rule from the government at the time, which also changed the name of the Copa del Rey.
A year before, Telmo Zarra started playing for the club. He became one of the club's biggest legends and its all-time top scorer with 335 goals. He won the Pichichi Trophy six times for being La Liga's top scorer. His 38 goals in the 1950–51 season was a record for 60 years. He was also La Liga's top Spanish scorer for many years.
In the 1940s and early 1950s, the club had a famous group of attacking players called Segunda delantera histórica (meaning Second historic attack). This group included Rafa Iriondo, Venancio García, Telmo Zarra, José Luis Panizo, and Agustín Gaínza. This team won both the league and cup in 1943. They also won the Copa del Generalísimo in 1944 and 1945. They helped the club win another Copa del Generalísimo and a Copa Eva Duarte (which was like the Supercopa de España) in 1950.
The Team of "Eleven Villagers"
In 1954, coach Ferdinand Daučík brought in new, younger players. Daučík built a new championship team. They won the league and cup in 1956. They also won two more Copa del Generalísimo titles in 1955 and 1958. The 1958 win is very famous. Athletic beat Di Stefano's Real Madrid, who had just won the European Cup and La Liga. The final was played in Real Madrid's stadium, but Athletic won 2–0.
This team was remembered as el equipo de los once aldeanos (meaning the team of eleven villagers). The club president, Enrique Guzmán, shouted during the celebration, "With eleven villagers, we have beaten them!" This showed the club's pride in only playing with local players. This team also played in the 1956 Latin Cup final and made it to the quarter-finals of the European Cup.
Iribar and the First UEFA Final
The 1960s were mostly dominated by Real Madrid. Athletic went through a period of change. The only player who really stood out was goalkeeper José Ángel Iribar. He became one of the club's greatest legends. Fans often said, Juegan Iribar y diez más (meaning Iribar and ten others are playing), because he was so important.
Things got better in 1969 when Athletic won a Copa del Generalísimo. They also finished second in La Liga in the 1969–70 season. Key players were Iribar, goalscorer Fidel Uriarte, and winger Txetxu Rojo.
The 1970s were also tough, with only one more Copa del Generalísimo win in 1973. In December 1976, before a game, Iribar and Real Sociedad's captain carried the Ikurriña (the Basque flag) onto the field. This was the first time the flag was shown publicly since the end of the previous government. After this, the club changed its name back to Athletic.
In 1977, the club reached the final of the UEFA Cup. They beat strong teams like AC Milan and FC Barcelona. They lost the final to Juventus on away goals. They also reached the Copa del Rey final but lost on penalties. Despite these losses, this team is remembered as one of Athletic Bilbao's best. It included famous players like Iribar, Rojo, Alexanko, Goikoetxea, and Dani.
The Clemente Years
In 1981, Javier Clemente became manager. He built one of the most successful teams in the club's history. In the 1982–83 season, Athletic won La Liga. The next year, they won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. In that cup final, they beat Maradona's FC Barcelona 1–0.
In 1985 and 1986, Athletic finished third and fourth. Clemente was later fired. After him, many coaches tried to bring back success, but none could match his achievements.
The Fernández Era
In 1998, coach Luis Fernández led the club to second place in La Liga. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Fernández benefited from the club being a bit more flexible with its cantera policy. In 1995, Athletic signed Joseba Etxeberria from rivals Real Sociedad, which caused some bad feelings. Etxeberria was a key player in the 1997–98 team, along with Ismael Urzaiz and Julen Guerrero.
21st Century Successes
The club almost got relegated in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. The 2006–07 season was their worst ever. In the Copa del Rey, they reached their first final in 24 years, but lost 4–1 to Barcelona.
Before the 2011–12 season, the new president, Josu Urrutia, hired coach Marcelo Bielsa. Athletic reached their first European final since 1977, the 2012 UEFA Europa League Final, but lost to Atlético Madrid. They also reached the 2012 Copa del Rey Final, losing to Barcelona again.
After Bielsa, Ernesto Valverde returned as manager. He brought in new players, and Athletic finished fourth in the league. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League.
Athletic had a great first full match in the new San Mamés. They beat Napoli to qualify for the Champions League group stage. They reached the 2015 Copa del Rey Final, but lost to Barcelona again, 3–1.
In the first game of the 2015 Supercopa de España at San Mamés, Athletic beat Barcelona 4–0. Aritz Aduriz scored three goals. In the second game, Athletic drew 1–1 to win their first trophy since 1984! Aduriz scored 36 goals that season. Athletic reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League, losing on penalties to Sevilla FC.
Valverde left in 2017. José Ángel Ziganda took over, but the team had a poor season. Eduardo Berizzo was then appointed but was dismissed quickly. B-team coach Gaizka Garitano took over and improved results.
The 2019–20 season started well, with the team at the top of the league. They reached the Copa del Rey final against rivals Real Sociedad. This final was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was eventually played on April 3, 2021, in an empty stadium, with Real Sociedad winning 1–0. By then, Aduriz had retired, and Marcelino was the new coach.
Athletic won the 2020–21 Supercopa de España by beating Real Madrid and Barcelona. They also reached another Copa del Rey final in April 2021, but lost 4–0 to Barcelona. In October 2021, a study showed that Athletic Bilbao was one of the only teams in European competitions with no foreign players.
In the 2023–24 season, Athletic Bilbao ended their 40-year wait for a Copa del Rey trophy! They won the 2023-24 Copa del Rey against RCD Mallorca 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. This campaign included big wins against Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
Club Crest
Athletic's club badge combines symbols from Bilbao and Biscay. From Bilbao's shield, it has the bridge and the church of San Anton. It also has wolves from the powerful Haro family, who founded Bilbao. From Biscay's shield, it has the Gernikako Arbola (Guernica's tree) and the cross of Saint Andrew. The first time this type of badge was used was in 1922.
The very first club badge was a blue circle with the letters A and C in white. The second, from 1910, was a red-and-white flag with the club's initials. The third, from 1913, showed the flag wrapped around a football.
The first version of the current badge, with red-and-white stripes and local symbols, came in 1922. This design was changed several times. In 1941, the name "Atlético Bilbao" was used on the badge because the government at the time made all non-Spanish names illegal. In 1972, the club added full color to the design and brought back the original English name "Athletic Club". In 2008, the badge's shape was slightly changed, and a new "Athletic Club" writing style was introduced.
- Historical evolution of the shield
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First own shield with intertwined initials (1901-02)
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Shield stylization and chromatic adjustment (1903-10)
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The initials are transferred to a flag with the new colors (1910-13)
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A ball is added to the one that embraces the flag (1913-22)
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The signs of the city and club are collected on a shield (1922)
Players
Current Squad
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Reserve Team
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Players on Loan
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Coaching Staff
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| Position | Name |
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| Head coach |  Ernesto Valverde |
| Assistant head coach | Jon Aspiazu |
| Goalkeeper coach | Aitor Iru |
| Fitness coach | José Antonio Pozanco |
| Analyst | Alberto Iglesias |
| Head of medical services | Josean Lekue |
| Nurse | Juan Manuel Ipiña Álvaro Campa |
| Physiotherapist | Isusko Ortuzar Imanol Martín |
| Sports therapist | Xabier Clemente |
| Match delegate | Sendoa Agirre |
| Kit manager | Jon Escalza Iker López Josu Arambarri |
| Director of football | Mikel González |
Presidency
The current president of Athletic Club is Jon Uriarte. He was elected in June 2022.
The club's board of directors includes:
- President: Jon Uriarte.
- Vice-president: Mikel Martínez.
- Secretary: Fernando San José.
- Vice-Secretary: María Tato.
- Treasurer: Aitor Bernardo.
- Accountant: Jon Ander de las Fuentes.
- Board members: Begoña Castaño, Goyo Arbizu, Itziar Villamandos, Óscar Beristain, Joana Martínez, Iker Goñi, Óscar Arce, Ricardo Hernani, Tomás Ondarra, Jorge Gómez, Manu Mosteiro.
- Managing Director: Jon Berasategi.
- General Secretary: Juan Ignacio Añibarro.
- Sporting Director: Víctor Moreno.
Coaches
Club Colours
Athletic first played in a simple white kit. In the 1902–03 season, their first official uniform was half-blue and half-white shirts. These were like the ones worn by Blackburn Rovers.
Later, in 1909, a student named Juan Elorduy was in London. He was asked to buy 25 new shirts for the club. He couldn't find enough. While waiting for his ship back to Bilbao, he noticed that the colors of Southampton matched the colors of Bilbao city. So, he bought 50 red and white shirts.
When he arrived in Bilbao, the club quickly decided to change their team colors to red and white stripes. Since 1910, Athletic Club has played in red and white. Half of the shirts Elorduy bought were sent to Atlético Madrid. Atlético Madrid had started as a youth branch of Athletic Bilbao. Before this change, only one other team in Spain, Sporting de Gijón, wore red and white. Athletic's away colors have often been blue, white, or black. In 2011, Athletic even had a green, white, and red away kit, inspired by the Basque flag.
Between 2001 and 2009, Athletic made their own kits under the brand 100% Athletic. For a long time, Athletic was one of the last big clubs without a sponsor's logo on their shirts. In 2008, they made a deal with the oil company Petronor to wear their logo. Now, the Kutxabank logo is on the front of Athletic's kits.
Kit Evolution
| Home colours | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
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| 1980–1991 | Adidas | None |
| 1991–1999 | Kappa | |
| 1999–2001 | Adidas | |
| 2001–2008 | 100% Athletic | |
| 2008–2009 | Petronor | |
| 2009–2013 | Umbro | |
| 2013–2015 | Nike | |
| 2015–2017 | Kutxabank | |
| 2017–2023 | New Balance | |
| 2023– | Castore |
Honours
- La Liga (8): 1929–30, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1942–43, 1955–56, 1982–83, 1983–84
- Copa del Rey (24): 1903, 1904, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1921, 1923, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1943, 1944, 1944–45, 1949–50, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1969, 1972–73, 1983–84, 2023–24
- Supercopa de España (3): 1984, 2015, 2021
- 'Copa Eva Duarte (1):' 1950
- Copa de la Coronación: 1902
Results
| Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other Comp. | Top scorer(s) | |||||||||||
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| Div | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Player(s) | Goals | ||||||
| 2014–15 | 1D | 7th | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 42 | 41 | 55 | RU | Champions League
Europa League |
GS
R32 |
Aritz Aduriz | 26 | ||
| 2015–16 | 1D | 5th | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 58 | 45 | 62 | QF | Europa League | QF | Supercopa de España | W | Aritz Aduriz | 36 |
| 2016–17 | 1D | 7th | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 53 | 43 | 63 | R16 | Europa League | R32 | Aritz Aduriz | 24 | ||
| 2017–18 | 1D | 16th | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 41 | 49 | 43 | R32 | Europa League | R16 | Aritz Aduriz | 20 | ||
| 2018–19 | 1D | 8th | 38 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 41 | 45 | 53 | R16 | Iñaki Williams | 14 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 1D | 11th | 38 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 41 | 38 | 51 | RU | Raúl García | 15 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 1D | 10th | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 46 | 42 | 46 | RU | Supercopa de España | W | Raúl García | 10 | ||
| 2021–22 | 1D | 8th | 38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 43 | 36 | 55 | SF | Supercopa de España | RU | Iñaki Williams | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | 1D | 8th | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 47 | 43 | 51 | SF | Iñaki Williams | 11 | ||||
| 2023–24 | 1D | 5th | 38 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 61 | 37 | 68 | W | Gorka Guruzeta | 16 | ||||
Pos. = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
Winners Runners-up Champions League Qualification Europa League Qualification Zarra Trophy
Statistics and Records
Club Statistics
- Members: 43,699 (in 2023)
- Official fan clubs: 485 (in 2023)
- Budget: about €135.8 million (for 2022–23 season)
- TV income: €66.5 million (for 2022–23 season)
Best Positions
- Seasons in La Liga: All seasons (never relegated)
- Best position in La Liga: 1st place (8 times)
- Worst position in La Liga: 17th place (once)
- Historical position in La Liga ranking: 4th
- Best in UEFA Champions League / European Cup: Quarter-finals (1956–57)
- Best in UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup: Runners-up (1976–77, 2011–12)
- Times in UEFA competitions: 32 (up to 2023–24 season)
- 5 times in UEFA Champions League / European Cup
- 19 times in UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup
- 2 times in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
- 5 times in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
- 1 time in UEFA Intertoto Cup
Goal Records
- Most goals scored at home: Athletic 12–1 Barcelona (1930–31)
- Most goals scored away: Osasuna 1–8 Athletic (1958–59)
- Most goals scored in Copa del Rey: Athletic 12–1 Celta Vigo (1946–47)
- Most goals scored in European competitions:
Standard Liège 1–7 Athletic (2004–05)
Player Records
- Top goalscorers: Telmo Zarra (335), Dani (199), Aritz Aduriz (172)
- Most appearances: José Ángel Iribar (614), Iker Muniain (560), Txetxu Rojo (541)
- Most seasons at the club: Agustín Gaínza (21), José Ángel Iribar (18), José Luis Panizo, José Orúe and Txetxu Rojo (17)
- Most professional titles won: Agustín Gaínza (10 titles)
- Youngest player to debut (professional): Iker Muniain (16 years, 7 months, 11 days)
- Youngest goalscorer (professional): Iker Muniain (16 years, 7 months, 18 days)
- Oldest player to retire: Armando Ribeiro (39 years, 119 days)
- Oldest goalscorer: Aritz Aduriz (38 years, 302 days)
- Most expensive player signed: Iñigo Martínez (2018 for €32M from Real Sociedad)
- Most expensive player sold: Kepa Arrizabalaga (2018 for €80M/£71m to Chelsea)
Club Records
- Athletic, Real Madrid, and Barcelona are the only three teams never to have been relegated from La Liga.
- In the 1929–30 season, they finished the league without losing a single game (18 games).
- They hold the record for the biggest win in La Liga (12–1 over Barcelona, 1931).
- They hold the record for the biggest win in Copa del Rey (12–1 over Celta Vigo, 1947).
- They have the biggest away wins against Real Madrid (6–0), Barcelona (6–0), Espanyol (5–1), and Osasuna (8–1).
- Zarra is the Spanish player with the most goals in La Liga history (251).
- Zarra is the Spanish player with the most goals in one La Liga season (38).
- Zarra has won the most top scorer awards in La Liga history (6).
- Zarra has the most hat tricks in La Liga history (23).
- Gaínza holds the record for most goals in a single La Liga match (8).
- Gaínza has the most appearances in the Copa del Rey for an outfield player (99).
- Zarra is the top scorer in Copa del Rey history (81 goals).
- Zarra holds the record for most goals in a Copa del Rey final (4).
Stadium Information
- Name: San Mamés
- Nickname: La Catedral (The Cathedral)
- City: Bilbao
- Opened: September 2013
- Capacity: 53,289 people
- Construction started: May 25, 2010
- Construction finished (partial): September 2013
- Construction finished (total): August 2014
- Pitch size: 105 m × 68 m (344 ft × 223 ft)
- Sports Facilities: Lezama
Lezama Facilities
The Lezama Facilities are where all of Athletic's teams, from the youngest to the first team, train. They opened in the 1971–72 season. The facilities include five natural grass fields, a gym, a medical center, and a place for young players to live. Lezama has been updated since 1995. New roads and parking were built to handle many visitors. There's also a covered area for fans watching youth team matches.
These facilities are in the town of Lezama, about ten miles from Bilbao.
Future Plans for Lezama
The club has approved a "Lezama Master Plan" to make the training facilities even more modern. This plan will improve structures for both youth teams and the first team. The work will take two to three years and cost around €12 million. The club wants to strengthen its cantera (youth system), which is key to its future. Lezama will get new classrooms for youth training and an audiovisual department.
Club Rivalries
Real Sociedad
Athletic Club's main rival is Real Sociedad. They are a nearby club, and their matches are called the Basque derby. Both teams have been big rivals since the beginning. For many years, Athletic was much stronger. But since the 1980s, the teams have become more equal, and the rivalry has grown even more.
Real Madrid and Barcelona
Athletic has competed against Real Madrid and Barcelona for many league and cup titles. Athletic has won more games against both these teams than many other clubs.
Osasuna
Athletic also has a rivalry with Osasuna. There has been some tension between these clubs in recent years.
See also
- Bilbao Athletic – the B team
- CD Basconia – an affiliate team for under-20 players
- Athletic Bilbao cantera – the youth system for players up to 19 years old
- Athletic Bilbao (women) – the women's team
- List of Athletic Bilbao records and statistics
- Athletic Bilbao signing policy
- One Club Award – an award given by Athletic to players who only played for one club in their career.
- Politics and sports
