Athletic Club
One of three clubs never relegated from LaLiga, and the only one doing it with a Basque-only squad.
The club
Founded in 1898 and, since 1911, signing only players born in or developed in the greater Basque Country, Biscay, Gipuzkoa, Álava and Navarre, plus the three French Basque provinces. Athletic are one of only three clubs never relegated from LaLiga, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, and their 24 Copa del Rey wins are second only to Barcelona's. San Mamés, rebuilt on the site of the old ground in 2013, holds 53,289.
Things worth knowing
- The cantera policy has held since 1911, no club in Europe restricts its recruitment so tightly and stays in the top division.
- Beat Barcelona 12–1 in 1931, still the largest winning margin in LaLiga history.
- Went 40 years without a major trophy before winning the 2023–24 Copa del Rey.
- In December 1976, goalkeeper Iribar and Real Sociedad's Kortabarria carried the ikurriña onto the pitch, the first public display of the Basque flag after Franco's death.
Coverage
All analysis →
Players & staff we cover
All profiles →The fastest ball-carrier in LaLiga and a Euro 2024 final match-winner who chose to stay.
The highest-scoring midfielder from open play in the Basque Country's history.
Spain's first-choice goalkeeper and the model of the modern ball-playing keeper.