Athletic Bilbao

FC Bilbao, Athletic Club and Bizkaia Club

Football in Bilbao appeared thanks to two groups of people connected with the UK , these were British steelmakers and sailors and Basque students who returned from British schools and universities.

At the end of the 19th century, Bilbao was the main port in the heart of the most important industrial area with a large number of iron mines and shipyards. The driving force of the Spanish economy was located here, and therefore this place attracted migrant workers. Among them were miners from the north-west of England and shipyard workers from Southampton and Portsmouth . The British workers brought here, as in many other corners of the planet, a game called soccer. In the early 1890s, these workers came together and formed the Bilbao Football Club .

Meanwhile, the children of the Basque intelligentsia went to the UK to study engineering and commerce. In the UK, Basque students became interested in football, and upon returning to Bilbao, they began to play games with British workers. In 1898, students from the Samakois Gymnasium founded the Athletic Club (in the English manner). In 1901, a meeting was held in Garcia Cafe, at which the rules and charter of the club were determined.

In 1902, two clubs from Bilbao formed a common team called the Bizkaia Club to participate in the first draw of the Spanish Cup . They returned from the competition with the main trophy, having beaten the Barcelona club in the final. In many ways, this success led to the fact that in 1903 the official merger of the two clubs under the general name Athletic Bilbao took place (in the literal version “Athletic Club from Bilbao”). In the same year, Basque students formed the Athletic Madrid team. This club will later turn into Atletico Madrid . The year the club was founded is a debatable issue among football historians. The year 1898 was officially declared, but some people believe that the year of foundation of the club should be considered 1901. There are also supporters of 1903 as a starting point.

Club colors

Equally debatable is the question of the source of club colors. Although initially the colors of the club were white and blue stripes, in 1910 this combination was changed to red and white stripes. There are three versions of why this happened. The most common version says that the change occurred to please the British founders of the club, who were originally from Sunderland and Southampton . ^[2] According to another version, a club member sent to the UK to buy white and blue t-shirts could not find such a color and returned with red and white t-shirts. There is also a theory according to which red and white colors were chosen because of their low cost, since the red and white combination was used in the manufacture of mattresses. Thus, both the Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid clubs used the initially blue and white colors, however, then switched to a combination of red and white. The Club of Madrid took this step first, for which it received the nickname Los Colchoneros , which translates roughly as "manufacturers of mattresses."

Athletic is one of the few clubs that does not have an official sponsor logo on t-shirts. However, in the UEFA Cup and King's Cup 2004/2005 season, the Basque government placed the word “ Euskadi ” on T-shirts for t-shirts ^[3] (red, white and green are the colors of the Basque Country ).

King Cup

The club has been participating in the King’s Cup since its inception. Following the first victory, called the Biscay Club , the newly formed Athletic Bilbao re-won the trophy in 1903. In 1904 they were declared winners because their rivals from the Hispaniol club could not come to the match. In 1907, the name "Vizcaya Club" was revived after the participation of a mixed team called "Union Viskayno". After a short break, the club won the competition again in 1911 and then won three times in a row from 1914 to 1916. The star of that team was the magnificent scorer Pichichi , who scored the very first goal at the San Mames stadium on August 21, 1913, and also made hat-trick in the 1915 finals. Today, the title of top scorer of the Spanish Championship is named Pichichi in honor of the great striker.

Basque nationalism

The use of only the Basque canter dates back to both the growth of Basque nationalism at the beginning of the 20th century, and from the leading position of the Basque Country at an early stage in the development of football in Spain. The success of the club gave the Basques an occasion for pride, and the support of the club, active pain became a legal way to express Basque nationalist ideas, especially during the years of Franco's reign. The club became associated with the Basque Nationalist Party (BNP), founded in 1895. Some of the BNP members were also members of the Athletic Club. Jose Antonio Aguirre, a former club footballer in the 1920s and a member of the BNP, became the first elected Basque president in 1936. On December 5, 1975 (15 days after Franco’s death), Athletics player Iribar and Real Sociedad player Cortabarria entered the field in the local derby of the two clubs, holding the still forbidden Basque flag in their hands ^[4] .

The last three foreign players left the club in 1912, and since then the unofficial policy of the Basque Canther in recruiting the team has begun . Initially, it implied that only Basque players born in the Basque Country have the right to play in the club. Ironically, Spain has benefited a lot from this policy. In the early 1920s, the Basque Country became the cradle of Spain’s greatest football players. The flow of immigrants from all over Spain has led the region to produce hundreds of high-quality players and the Canter has worked for the good of the national team. At the 1920 Summer Olympics, out of 21 players in the Spanish national team, 14 were Basques. Athletic has grown more players for the national team than any other club.

First La Liga

Athletic was not the only Basque team represented in the 1920 Olympic team. Clubs such as Real Union , Arenas Getcho and Real Sociedad also supplied their players. All four of these clubs were at the forefront of the creation of La Liga in 1928, and in 1930 Deportivo Alaves also joined them. Thus, five out of ten Examples clubs (the first division of the Spanish National League) were from the Basque Country . The expression Con cantera y afición, no hace falta importación , which can be translated as With homegrown teams and fans, there was no need for import in import , it made sense in those days.

El Bombin

In 1921, a new coach, Fred Pentland, arrived from Racing Santander Club. In 1923, he led the club to victory in the King's Cup . He made a revolution in the manner of the game “Athletics”, raising the absolute game in a short pass. In 1927 he left Athletic and later coached Atlético Madrid , Real Oviedo and the Spanish national team . In 1929, he returned to Athletic and led the team sequentially to two doubles (victories in La Liga and the King's Cup at the same time) in 1930 and 1931. The club won the King’s Cup four times in a row between 1930 and 1933, and also took second place in La Liga in 1932 and 1933. In 1931, Athletic also inflicted on Barcelona the most shameful defeat in its history - 12-1.

Atletico Bilbao

In 1941, the club changed its name to Atletico Bilbao, following the linguistic policy of Franco, according to which all non-Hispanic names were forbidden. Obstruction has also undergone a rule by which only natives of the Basque Country can play in a team. In the same year, Telmo Sarra made his debut. Over the next 13 seasons, he scored 294 goals in all competitions for Atlético, plus another 20 for the Spanish national team . His 38 goals in the 1950/1951 season for 60 years were a record for the Spanish championship. Only in the 2010/2011 season did Cristiano Ronaldo break the record, scoring two goals more (but there were 8 more matches). Another great player of that era is Paniso . In 1943, the club won La Liga and the Generalissimo Cup , they managed to keep the second trophy in 1944 and 1945.

In the early 1950s, the club had a legendary attack line: Sarah , Paniso , Rafa Iriondo , Venancio and Agustin Gainsa . They helped the team win another Generalissimo Cup in 1950. The appearance of Ferdinand Dauchik as head coach allowed him to develop success. He led the team to a new double in 1956 and to victories in the Generalissimo Cup in 1955 and 1958. Under him, the team made its debut in the European Cup in 1956, where it was defeated by the Manchester United team in the quarterfinals.

What played into the hands of the club in achieving success in the thirties, forties and fifties is the limit on foreign players. In most cases, the club could have only three legionnaires in its composition, which meant that at least eight home-grown players went on the field. While Real Madrid and Barcelona circumvented this rule using dual citizenship players such as Alfredo Di Stefano , Ferenc Puskas , Jose Santamaria and Ladislao Kubala , Atlético strictly adhered to its canter policy. During the sixties, Spain was dominated by Real Madrid, and Atletico Bilbao managed to win only the King's Cup in 1969.

Like other foreign teams, the club began to use the rule according to which it was possible to take players into the team who had Basque roots, but they did not have to be born in the Basque Country. This allowed Armando Merodio, born in Barcelona, to play for Atlético. At the same time, players such as Jesus Maria Pereda , Miguel Hones and Jose Garate were not honored. Although none of them were Basques from birth, all three grew up in the Basque Country and could be classified as naturalized Basques. And Garate and his parents were of Basque origin.

The positive side of the sixties was the ascension of the legend of the club Jose Angel Iribar . The seventies did not bring drastic changes, and the Generalissimo Cup in 1973 became the only trophy. In December 1976, before the start of the game with Real Sociedad, Iribar and the captain of Real Madrid Ignacio Cortabarria took out the flag of the Basque Country and solemnly installed it in the central circle. It was the first public demonstration of the flag since the death of Franco . In 1977, the club reached the final of the UEFA Cup , losing by the rule of goals scored on the road to Juventus . Since then, the club has regained the name Athletic Bilbao.

Era Clemente

In 1981, the club appointed Javier Clemente as head coach. And soon he managed to create one of the most successful Athletics teams in history. Young canter players Santiago Urquiaga , Miguel De Andres , Ismael Urtubi , Estanisao Argote and Andoni Subisarreta joined veterans such as Dani and Andoni Goikoechea . In the first season, under his leadership, Clemente led the team to 4th place in La Liga . In 1983, the club won La Liga , and in 1984 made a double. In 1985 and 1986, Athletic finished third and fourth respectively. Clemente formed a club that was recognizable for its aggressive playing style, which Goicoechea was a true embodiment of. The coach preferred to have two defensive midfielders in front of two central defenders and a libero, and for this the team was nicknamed not very effective, but effective.

Athletic has not been able to win a single trophy since the Clemente era ended. The invitation of such successful coaches as Jose Angel Iribar , Howard Kendall , Jupp Heynckes and Javier Irureta and even the subsequent return of Clemente could not revive the former success.

Era of Fernandez

The most successful Athletic coach after Clemente was Luis Fernandez , invited in 1996. In 1998, he led the club to second place in La Liga and the opportunity to play in the Champions League . Fernandez liberalized the terms of the Canter politics. Now, for “Athletic” could play anyone who began a football career in the Basque Country . So they got the opportunity to play in the team a native of Salamanca Patches Ferreira and Biurrun , a Brazilian- born player who emigrated to the autonomous region at a very young age.

Cantera also expanded its zone of influence to the Franco-Basque province, Rioja and Navarra . This change in the statute allowed Fernandez to sign Bixant Lizarazu , the first Basque club born in France , followed by Ismael Ursais and Jose Marie . Athletic also began to take players from the canter of other Basque clubs. In 1995, Athletic was signed by Joseb Echeberria of Real Sociedad , ruining the relationship between the two clubs. Although Lizarazu left the club after one season, Ursais, José Marie and Heecherria became the main figures in the 1997/1998 season along with Rafael Alcorta , Julien Guerrero and Patches Ferreira .

Progress in the 21st Century

After the second coming to the club of Jupp Heynckes (2001-2003) and the beginning of the coaching career of the club guard Ernesto Valverde (2003-2005), when the club showed average results, with the next arrival of Javier Clemente in the team, she is in the seasons 2005/06 and 2006/07 fought for survival in La Liga. However, in the 2008/09 season, a team led by Joaquin Caparros was able to play for the first time in 24 years in the final of the Spanish Cup , where she lost to Barcelona with a score of 1: 4. However, this allowed the team to participate in the Europa League for the next year, in which they stopped at the stage 1/32 finals. At this moment, the star Fernando Llorente lights up in the team, who scored 20 goals from season to season, and sometimes even more. In addition to it, the team has an impressive young generation - Iker Muniain , Javi Martinez , Markel Susaeta - which makes it possible to more or less painlessly survive the loss of such club legends as Frasisco Yeste (more than 300 games) and Joseba Echeberria (more than 500 games for the club).

Everything changes with the arrival of the Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa to the club - the 2011/12 season could be a triumph for the club, but he loses both finals in which he lands. In the Spanish Cup, Athletic is again defeated by Barcelona (0: 3), and in the final of the Europa League, the Basques lose to another Spanish club - Atlético - with the same score. The next season is not set, after which Llorente and Bielsa leave the team, and coach Ernesto Valverde returns to it, who, following the results of the 2013/14 season, provided the club with participation in the Champions League for the next year. The last time Athletic participated in the Champions League in the 1998/99 season ^[5] . In the group stage of the Champions League, the club took 3rd place in group H and ended up in the playoffs of the Europa League , where at the stage of 1/16 final they lost in the sum of two matches of Torino (4: 5). In the championship of Spain, the club took 7th place, and in the final of the Spanish Cup 2014/15 lost to Barcelona. In the match for the Spanish Super Cup 2015 , Athletic took revenge against Barcelona (4: 0 and 1: 1).

Newest Time

In the recent past, Athletic Bilbao got stuck in the middle of the championship, and then was forced to fight for survival in the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 seasons. In 2006, the club was able to avoid relegation only in the 37th round after defeating Deportivo La A Coruña at Riasor with a score of 2-1. Javier Clemente headed the club for the third time in 2005, at a time when the club was in last place. He managed to restore harmony to the defensive ranks of the team and save the club from relegation, but despite this, he did not remain at his post for the 2006/2007 season. This season was the worst in the club’s history, because they managed to escape only in the final round of the championship, when Levante was defeated at San Mamez 2-0. Despite the lack of any success on the field, the vast majority of club fans believe that the uniqueness of the club and traditions are more important than football trophies. According to a study by the El Mundo newspaper in the 90s, 76% of Athletics fans would rather survive the team’s relegation to the second division than abandon the canter’s policy. In the 2010/2011 season, Athletic Bilbao managed to gain a foothold on the 6th line of the championship league table, which allowed the team to participate in European competitions. The most successful Athletics team in recent years is the women's soccer team, which won the championship four times between 2003 and 2007.

With the arrival of the Argentinean specialist Marcelo Bielsa in the summer of 2011, Athletic reached a qualitatively new level. The team fought for a place in the Champions League, and also reached the final of the Europa League, while knocking out such clubs as Lokomotiv , Manchester United , Schalke 04 , and Lisbon Sporting , where, however, they lost to Madrid Atletico .

National Achievements

•   Championship of Spain
•   Winner ( 8 ): 1929/30 , 1930/31 , 1933/34 , 1935/36 , 1942/43 , 1955/56 , 1982/83 , 1983/84
•   Vice Champion ( 7 ): 1931/32 , 1932/33 , 1940/41 , 1946/47 , 1951/52 , 1969/70 , 1997/98
•   Spanish Cup
•   Owner ( 24 ): 1902 , 1903 , 1904 , 1910, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1921, 1923, 1930 , 1931 , 1932 , 1933 , 1943 , 1944 , 1944/1945 , 1949/1950 , 1955 , 1956 , 1958 , 1969 , 1972/1973 , 1983/1984
•   Finalist ( 14 ): 1905 , 1906 , 1913, 1920, 1942 , 1948/49 , 1952/53 , 1965/66 , 1966/67 , 1976/77 , 1984/85 , 2008/09 , 2011/12 , 2014/15
•   Spanish Super Cup
•   Owner ( 2 ): 1984, 2015
•   Finalist ( 2 ): 1983 , 2009
• Eva Duarte Cup
•   Owner : 1950
•   Finalist : 1945
• Northern Championship
•   Winner ( 3 ): 1913/14, 1914/15, 1915/16
• Vizcaya Championship
•   Winner ( 14 ): 1919/20, 1920/21, 1922/23, 1923/24, 1924/25, 1925/26, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1930/31, 1931/32, 1932/33, 1933 / 34, 1938/39, 1939/40
• Basque Cup
•   Owner : 1934/35

European Achievements

•   UEFA Cup / Europa League
•   Finalist ( 2 ): 1977 , 2012

International

• World Cup
•   Owner : 1967
• Latin cup
•   Finalist : 1956
• Iberian Cup
•   Finalist : 1983

As of August 24, 2018

The old San Mamez stadium , had a capacity of 39750, ^[6] and was opened in 1913, the field size is 103 × 68 m. The new San Mamez stadium , the opening of which was timed to coincide with the centenary of the old one, was opened 16 сентября 2013 года , в рамках 4-го тура Ла-Лиги сезона 2013/14, «Атлетик Бильбао» принимал « Сельту » из Виго и добился победы со счётом 3-2. Вместительность стадиона при старте сезона 2014/2015 составила более 53000 человек. Тренировочная база — « ».

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