Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Club, commonly known as Athletic Bilbao, is a professional football club based in Bilbao, Spain. Founded on July 18, 1898, the club plays its home matches at the modern San Mamés Stadium, completed in 2013 with a capacity of around 53,000. Athletic competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spanish football, and is one of only three founding members of the Primera División (established in 1929) never to have been relegated, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona. Along with Osasuna, it is also one of only four professional clubs in Spain not structured as a sports corporation, instead owned and operated by its members.

The club is renowned for its cantera policy, which since 1911 has mandated signing only players native to or trained in the greater Basque Country, including Biscay, Gipuzkoa, Álava, Navarre, and the French Basque provinces. This unique approach has earned both admiration for promoting homegrown talent and criticism for limiting competitiveness. The nickname Lehoiak (The Lions) derives from the original San Mamés stadium, built near a church named after Saint Mammes, who was said to have pacified lions. Fans are known for passionate support, with San Mamés often creating an intimidating atmosphere.[edit]

Athletic Bilbao was founded on July 18, 1898, by Basque students returning from Britain. The club quickly became a symbol of Basque identity. Domestically, Athletic is the most successful Basque club, with eight La Liga titles and 24 Copa del Rey titles, second only to Barcelona in cup victories. Their most recent league title came in 1983-84, the same season they achieved a historic double by also winning the Copa del Rey. The women's team has also been highly decorated, winning five Primera División Femenina championships.

Major European achievements include reaching the UEFA Europa League final in 1977 and 2012. The club also reached the Copa del Rey final in 2015, 2020, and 2021. In the 2023-24 season, Athletic ended a 40-year trophy drought by defeating Mallorca in the Copa del Rey final, winning 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. That season they also finished fifth in La Liga, securing a Europa League spot. The 2024-25 season sees them competing in the Europa League under head coach Ernesto Valverde, who returned for a third stint in 2022.[edit]