Athletic Bilbao signing policy

The Basque flag

Since 1912, the Spanish football club Athletic Bilbao has had an unwritten rule whereby the club will only sign players who were born in the Basque Country or who learned their football skills at a Basque club. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]} On occasion, youth players have also been invited to join due to ancestral links to the region, but no senior players have been signed based on Basque heritage alone.

The policy is related to Basque nationalism ^{[7] [8] [9]} and has been praised as a way to promote local talent, ^{[6] [10]} although it has been criticised as being discriminatory. ^{[4] [11] [12]}

With regards to coaching staff, including managerial positions, those roles are eligible for non-Basques, both from other regions in Spain and elsewhere in the world.

History

In the first decade of their existence, Athletic selected English players for the team ^{[3] [5] [13] [14]} but since 1912, ^{[15] [16]} they have adhered to a policy of allowing only players born in the Basque Country or who learned their football skills at a Basque club to play for them. ^{[1] [4] [5] [7] [14] [17] [18] [19]} The rhyming motto used to describe the reasoning behind it is Con cantera y afición, no hace falta importación (English: "with home-grown talent and local support, there's no need for imports"). ^[20]

In 1911, a dispute occurred between Athletic Bilbao and fellow Basque club Real Sociedad regarding the former fielding ineligible English players in the 1911 Copa del Rey; ^{[3] [14]} they had also employed the services of several (non-Basque) players from Atlético Madrid which was then a branch of the Bilbao club. ^{[21] [22]} This led to the Royal Spanish Football Federation introducing a rule for the next year's competition that all players must be Spanish citizens. ^{[5] [16]} As a large proportion of the players in that early era were Basque, ^{[19] [23]} relying on locals was no impediment to Athletic and they chose to maintain that approach even when the regulations were relaxed some years later.

location of the 'Greater Basque Country' from which Athletic Bilbao recruits all its players

The policy is not written into the Athletic Bilbao rulebook ^[4] but specific criteria were added to the club's upgraded website in 2008; ^{[24] [25]} the approach has become a philosophy of the club in order to promote local players under the cantera (homegrown) system. ^{[4] [11] [14] [20] [26]} The policy also extends to Athletic's reserves, their farm team CD Basconia, their youth teams and their women's football department. ^{[16] [27]} It does not apply to the coaching staff, with managers from England, Hungary, Germany, France and Argentina among those to have led the team at various times. ^[28]

They were not the only club to adhere to this approach; Real Sociedad had a similar policy from the late 1960s ^{[4] [12] [29] [23]} and won two consecutive league titles in the early 1980s adhering to the self-imposed restriction ^[30] (as did Athletic), ^[31] but it was dropped for foreign imports in 1989 when they signed the Republic of Ireland forward John Aldridge, ^{[18] [32] [33]} soon followed by their first black player Dalian Atkinson, ^[34] and they made their first non-Basque Spanish signing in 2002 with the transfer of Boris from Real Oviedo. ^{[35] [36]} However, the San Sebastián-based club still places a high importance on producing their own local players, and a high percentage of their squad in the 2010s were home-grown. ^{[23] [37] [38]}

The policy has been praised as a symbol of localised football being successful at the highest level, ^{[4] [16] [39]} as well as preserving a strong regional identity ^{[6] [9] [40]} and being a way for Basque nationalism to be moderately expressed. ^{[8] [9] [23] [40] [41]} It has been described as discriminatory for only allowing Basque players to play for Athletic Bilbao, ^{[4] [7] [17] [42]} although it has been suggested that the policy is working for them since Athletic is one of only three clubs (along with Real Madrid and Barcelona) never to have been relegated from La Liga. ^{[6] [9] [14] [19] [20] [27] [38]}

Origins of players

Ethnic minorities

Iñaki Williams, of West African origin but born and raised in the Basque region

Due to a relatively low immigrant population in the region, ^{[4] [42] [43]} the policy also had the consequence of Athletic Bilbao having been the last club in La Liga to field a black player. That player was Jonás Ramalho, whose father is Angolan, who made his debut in 2011. ^{[3] [4] [29]} In 2015 Iñaki Williams (born in Bilbao to Ghanaian immigrant parents) ^{[44] [45]} became Athletic's first black goalscorer. ^{[39] [46]} Prior to Ramalho, in 2000 the first African-born player in the club's youth system was Blanchard Moussayou ^[47] whose promising career was curtailed by injury; some years later, he stated his belief that it was 'twice as hard' for a black player to make an impact at the club. ^[48] Gorka Luariz, a forward of mixed ethnicity capped by Equatorial Guinea in 2018, spent time in Athletic's youth system despite being born in Zaragoza as his upbringing was almost entirely in the Basque region. ^[49] Another international player, Yaser Hamed, born in Biscay to a Palestinian father, spent five years with the club as a child before moving around several local semi-professional teams and clubs in Bahrain, Egypt and Qatar. ^{[50] [51]}

Former academy trainee Yuri Berchiche, who rejoined Athletic in the summer of 2018 as one of the club's most expensive signings, ^{[6] [52]} has an Algerian father but showed no interest in playing for their national team when the matter was put to him. ^{[53] [54]} By coincidence, Berchiche is from the same town – Zarautz, west of San Sebastián – as Álex Padilla, a goalkeeper of partial Mexican heritage and upbringing who had already played for that nation at Under-23 level before he made his first team debut in 2024. ^{[55] [56]}

As of 2019, Athletic's academy teams included a small number of players of an ethnic minority (mostly Afro-Spaniard) background, including Cameroon-born pair Christophe Atangana (a goalkeeper), ^[57] and defender Loic Boum who was orphaned as a child and was a ward of the Government of Navarre when he joined the club in 2014 ^{[58] [59]} plus forward Nico Williams, the younger brother of Iñaki, who made his first-team debut in 2021 ^{[60] [61]} and soon developed into a player of international quality. That year, the older youth teams featured a Colombia-born goalkeeper ^[62] and a handful of others who had mostly been at the club for several years. Malcom Adu Ares, from Bilbao with Bissau-Guinean heritage, made his debut aged 20 in 2022, but he only joined the club a year earlier and had not been part of the setup as a teenager. ^[63]

By 2024, the reserve teams contained several promising players of partial or full African origin including Adama Boiro, Junior Bita, Igor Oyono and Elijah Gift, while new signing Álvaro Djaló was in the main squad – cousin of Adu Ares, the winger joined for an initial €15 million fee (one of the club's biggest transfer outlays) from SC Braga of Portugal, ^[64] having developed there and with no immediately obvious Basque links due to being born in Madrid and of West African heritage; however, most of his childhood was spent in Bilbao. ^[65]

French players

The club has also recruited players ^{[66] [67]} from the French Northern Basque Country (a region of 300,000 where rugby union is the most popular sport) ^[68] with Bixente Lizarazu being the first French-Basque to play for the senior team in 1996. ^{[3] [15] [29]}

The signing of Aymeric Laporte prompted debate among supporters and columnists regarding the definitions of the policy when he became the first Frenchman to successfully graduate from the club's youth system in 2012, ^{[18] [68]} as he had no link to the Basque region through birth or residency, and a blood link only via great-grandparents. ^{[69] [70] [71] [18]} He did play for a team in the territory, Aviron Bayonnais, ^{[71] [72]} but only by arrangement after the initial approach from Athletic in 2009, as he was too young to move to a club outside France at the time – he arrived formally in 2010. ^[39]

Yanis Rahmani, a Frenchman of Algerian origin raised in Sestao, ^[42] progressed as far as Basconia at the same time as Laporte but did not turn professional with the club. ^[73] Others have progressed no further than youth level. In 2024, Johaneko Louis-Jean (a Bayonne native of Haitian descent) joined the club following the collapse of his previous team Bordeaux. ^[74]

Griezmann debate

Antoine Griezmann, the French forward developed by Real Sociedad, was the subject of debate regarding his eligibility for a theoretical move to Athletic as he emerged as an elite player in 2012. ^[75] Hailing from Burgundy, he arrived at the San Sebastián club aged 14 ^[76] but only to play football for their academy teams rather than for some other non-sporting reason, and has no connection to the French Basque Country other than attending school there after signing for Real.

The opinions of some (including Athletic's academy director José María Amorrortu) ^[75] were that his training at a Basque club from a young age adhered to the policy, ^[77] while others insisted that he had the same (ineligible) status as any adult player transferred in by Real and the other local professional clubs. ^[78]

In any event, Griezmann showed little interest in joining Athletic, ^[76] subsequently moved on to Atlético Madrid ^[75] and was voted the world's third best player in 2016, ^[79] making any move to Bilbao unlikely in the medium term.

Players of Basque descent

Fernando Amorebieta, born in Venezuela but raised in the Basque Country

In 1980 the club was believed to have given serious consideration to signing Iker Zubizarreta, a young Venezuelan of Basque heritage (his grandfather Félix played for Athletic in the 1910s) who had impressed at the football tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics, but decided not to pursue it. ^[80]

In 2011, media sources claimed that Athletic had shown interest in young Mexican midfielder Jonathan Espericueta ^[81] but no such move materialised, and the player himself (who did later play in Spain with Villarreal B) stated that his Basque connection was as distant as a great-great-grandfather. ^[82]

The Uruguayan international Diego Forlán, whose paternal grandmother was from Hondarribia, claimed he had talks over a potential transfer to the club in 2004 ^{[83] [84]} but this signing would have been incompatible with the club's stated policy as Forlan was not born in a Basque region, nor did he play football as a youth (or at any point in his career) at a club in the territory. That is also true of Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuaín ^[85] and Spaniards Benjamín Zarandona, ^{[4] [29]} Kepa Blanco ^[86] and Jorge López, ^{[7] [87]} all players with tenuous Basque links who were also said to have been considered as potential signings by the club's presidential candidates when Athletic were struggling on the field in the mid-2000s under the restrictions of the policy. ^[88] In 2015 the Australian winger Tommy Oar (with Basque-born grandparents) was the subject of similar speculation, ^[89] and having been linked to the club at the start of his successful career, Higuain's name was mentioned in the media again 14 years later as he reached veteran status. ^[90] Multiple UEFA Champions League winner Marco Asensio's Basque father, a former footballer, suggested his son to Athletic as a potential signing early in his career, only to be informed that Mallorca-born Marco did not fit the philosophy. ^[91] But despite these examples of the rule being applied consistently, Mario Bermejo, a Cantabrian also with a Basque father but trained at Racing Santander, did sign for the club as a promising young player in 1996, which he later stated was smoothed by an athletic director being an acquaintance of his uncle. ^[92]

Gonzalo Higuain: of Basque heritage, but not eligible to play for Athletic.

Apart from the occasional anomalies, the typical stance to reject players from the Basque diaspora contrasts with players born in Latin America who were signed by the club ^[3] such as Marcelino Gálatas, ^[93] Higinio Ortúzar, ^[94] Vicente Biurrun, ^[3] Javier Iturriaga ^[95] and Fernando Amorebieta ^{[4] [29]} who all did have Basque parentage, but as with the small number of players born in other parts of Spain such as Carlos Petreñas, ^[96] Isaac Oceja, ^[97] Makala, Armando Merodio, ^[98] Patxi Ferreira, Luis Fernando, ^[99] Andoni Ayarza, Teo Rastrojo, ^[100] Manu Núñez ^[101] and Ernesto Valverde, it was primarily their residency in the territory from a young age rather than their ancestry which made them eligible for Athletic. ^{[7] [15]} But that was not always the case, as in the 1950s some talented players raised locally but with birthplaces elsewhere (Chus Pereda, Miguel Jones, ^[3] José Eulogio Gárate and the elder brother of Manuel Sarabia) ^[102] were not signed as would have been expected in later eras. ^{[7] [15] [29]} It has been suggested that the inconsistent rejection of some of these foreign-born players by the club's hierarchy may have been influenced by the ruling regime which emphasised pride in all things Spanish (considering the Basques as part of this single identity), ^[103] or conversely by some board members' views as Basque nationalists, opposed to Franco in their ultimate aims for their homeland but also involved in judgements on the worthiness of individuals based on their ethnic background. ^[7]

Players born in the Basque Country

Conversely, players born in the Basque Country but raised elsewhere are considered eligible. ^[29] In the years prior to the Spanish Civil War, Athletic undertook a project named 'Operation Return', seeking players born in the Basque region who had emigrated to other countries. One of the few who actually made a competitive appearance for the club was Nemesio Tamayo who had begun his career in his adopted homeland of Chile and also played in Mexico before a brief spell in his birthplace. ^[104] The arrival of Bilbao-born Emilio Aldecoa in 1947 was unusual as he had spent the past decade of his life in England, having been evacuated as a teenage refugee of the Civil War. ^{[105] [106] [107]} Another member of that refugee group was the club's star goalkeeper of the era Raimundo Pérez Lezama, although he had returned home much sooner on the outbreak of World War II; a third Basque refugee Sabino Barinaga turned down an offer from Athletic and joined Real Madrid. ^[108]

Roberto Ríos, born in Bilbao but raised and trained in Seville

Fernando Llorente was born in Pamplona ^[109] but lived his whole childhood in Rincón de Soto (close to Basque territory but outside it) before he was recruited as an 11-year-old. ^[110] Two of Athletic's most expensive signings, the Bilbao-born Spain internationals Roberto Ríos ^[111] and Ander Herrera ^[112] learned their skills in the cities where their footballing fathers were based professionally (Eusebio ^[101] at Real Betis of Seville, and Pedro at Real Zaragoza respectively); Gaizka Mendieta (son of Andrés Mendieta of CD Castellón) had similar origins but turned down a move, ^[113] albeit he remained a proud Basque who played for the unofficial representative team. ^[114] In 2019, Athletic were reported as enquiring into the availability of young players Gonzalo Desio (the son of former Deportivo Alavés midfielder Hermes Desio, born in Vitoria-Gasteiz but raised in his parents' homeland of Argentina) ^[115] and Sergio Moreno (born in Pamplona but raised in the Canary Islands and in Madrid, where he made a senior debut with Rayo Vallecano) ^[116] due to their birthplaces, with no other links tying them to the club's recruitment philosophy.

Players from Biscay

It was once the case that Athletic would usually recruit from the Biscay province surrounding Bilbao ^[29] while the other leading clubs Real Sociedad and Osasuna would focus on players from their respective provinces Gipuzkoa and Navarre. In recent decades (with the pool of potential players declining due to a low birth rate in the area), ^[103] Athletic expanded their recruitment in these other areas in their efforts to accommodate the best players with any Basque links. This saw many talented players from San Sebastián ^[117] and Pamplona ^[118] join the club, and also caused Real Sociedad to abandon their own Basque policy in the face of the competition for signings. ^{[18] [119]}

Transfers between the clubs increased tensions with Osasuna ^{[120] [121]} and with Real; ^[119] Athletic paid over the odds for players from those rivals on several occasions, including breaking the national record for a native player for Loren in 1989, ^[122] setting further records for purchasing a teenager with Joseba Etxeberria in 1995 ^[123] followed by the €6 million outlay on the untested Javi Martínez in 2006, ^[124] being ordered by courts to pay €5 million for Iban Zubiaurre in 2008 after his signing was found to be a breach of contract, ^{[125] [126] [127]} and meeting Iñigo Martínez's €32 million release clause in 2018 ^{[128] [129]} (offset by losing Aymeric Laporte the same day in a similar deal worth double that amount). ^[130]

That change of focus also led to fewer players from the home province being selected; in a 2011 fixture, none of the Athletic starters or used substitutes were from Biscay. ^{[12] [131] [132]} However, in subsequent years more local players made the grade, and the situation appears unlikely to occur again in the near future – 12 of the 25 players in the 2016–17 squad were born in Biscay and 14 for the 2019–20 squad, ^[133] and in November 2017 a study showed that 77% of players in the academy teams hailed from the province. ^[134]

Players from outside the region

On the other hand, the definitions of the philosophy are stretched occasionally to accommodate promising youngsters with little Basque connection, which does not always sit well with some of the club's followers.

Enric Saborit, originally from Catalonia, who graduated through the youth and reserve levels to reach the first team, caused questions to be asked when he signed in 2008; he had no connection with the region by birth or blood, but while already 16 years old and playing in RCD Espanyol's cantera teams, he moved to Vitoria-Gasteiz where his mother had relocated for work two years earlier. As soon as he became a resident of the territory, Saborit was deemed eligible by Athletic to play for the club. ^{[42] [135] [136]} A year earlier, 16-year-old Italian goalkeeper Imanol Schiavella joined the Athletic academy on the strength of his mother being from Andoain, ^[137] but he departed after two seasons. ^[138] Three years later Ander Dulce, another youth player with a Basque forename and parent (Jesús Dulce, himself a professional footballer) ^[139] but born and bred elsewhere – in this case much closer than Schiavella, in Logroño – was also signed, but his promising career was spoiled by serious injury. ^{[140] [141]}

In summer 2017, Athletic recruited Youssouf Diarra, an 18-year-old forward born in Mali who was raised in Catalonia and had spent the past two years playing for clubs in Navarre after moving there to continue his education, which the club deemed sufficient under the policy, ^{[142] [143]} but apparently decided the circumstances by which Ibrahima Deng, a teenage migrant from Senegal via Tenerife, came to play for Basque club SD Amorebieta did not fit the policy ^[144] (Deng later joined another local professional club, SD Eibar). ^[145] The previous year, Athletic had signed 16-year-old Colombia-born defender Deiby Ochoa, who lived in La Rioja and had only ever played for clubs in that region. ^{[146] [147]} Like Diarra, he had attended trial matches at the Lezama training centre.

However, despite having invited Ochoa to join, in October 2017 it was announced that the club's youth training camp in Oion (a village in Álava, but just a few miles from Logroño) which was opened in order to create a loophole in their own rule and 'Basque-train' youngsters living close to but not within the region, would no longer accept players who "did not fit the Athletic philosophy", effectively excluding around 150 Riojan youngsters of various ages from the system and leaving only around ten Basques across the squads, indicating a change in approach to youth recruitment among the club hierarchy. ^{[109] [148] [149]} Past recruits born in that region, who were considered eligible due to their formative club being Osasuna or Real Sociedad, include José Mari García, Santiago Ezquerro, David López and Borja Viguera; ^[7] however, the justifications for allowing Luis de la Fuente and later Daniel Aranzubia and Miguel Escalona to join Athletic's youth system directly from Riojan clubs were less clear. ^[109]

In January 2018, Athletic announced a new signing who was more obviously non-Basque by ethnicity: 25-year-old Cristian Ganea, a Romanian international ^[150] who was also born in that country and had only played for Romanian clubs for the past five years. But prior to that, he had spent his teenage years living in Basauri just outside Bilbao and had featured for local teams (including Basconia, Athletic's feeder team at semi-professional level who have a separate amateur and juvenile structure), meaning he too was eligible under the 'learned skills at a Basque club' aspect of the policy. ^{[151] [152]} A year later, the Bosnian international forward Kenan Kodro joined the club, but his Basque credentials beyond his name (born and raised in San Sebastián and a Real Sociedad youth product) were very robust. ^[153] Similarly, Ewan Urain was selected by Scotland at under-21 level in 2021 due to his heritage, but was born and raised in Durango, Biscay. ^[154]

Women's team

The Athletic Bilbao senior and reserve women's teams were established in 2002. The club won five Spanish championships in its first two decades while adhering to the Basque-only policy, benefitting from the less globalised and commercial nature of the women's game in that period – with less money available for imports, local players predominated across the league's clubs and no Barcelona–Real Madrid duopoly existed, with Los Blancos not becoming involved in the sport until 2019. Due to the shorter history of the women's branch there are fewer examples of Athletic players with partial connections to the territory, examples being the internationals Damaris Egurrola (born in Florida, raised in Gernika, later declared for the Netherlands) ^{[155] [156]} and Lucía García (born in Barakaldo's specialist maternity hospital as one of a set of quadruplets, raised in Asturias) ^[157] as well as American goalkeeper Maite Zabala (from the large Basque community in Boise, Idaho) who did not make a competitive appearance. ^{[158] [159]} Mention should also be given to Manuela Lareo, of partial Afro-Caribbean (Dominican Republic) descent, ^[160] who joined the club in 2010 and made her debut later that year, ^[161] preceding Jonás Ramalho's first appearance for the men's team.

In summer 2019, the club made a signing which many supporters felt was a breach of their code, ^[162] bringing Germany-born 1.FFC Frankfurt player Bibiane Schulze ^[163] to Bilbao. As well as marrying into Spanish minor nobility, her mother's family had strong Basque ties, ^{[164] [165] [166] [167]} including great-grandfather (Patxo Belaustegigoitia) who played for Athletic a century earlier. ^{[162] [164] [168] [169]} Bibiane's personal connections to the region were frequent visits on holiday including informal 'football development' playing on the beach at Lekeitio, and being an Athletic fan as a child. ^{[162] [164]} The club president Aitor Elizegi addressed the media to explain the rationale behind the signing, stating she was a player of "clear Basque origin". ^{[162] [168] [170]} A year later the club made its first French-Basque women's signing, Sophie Istillart (previously of Bordeaux). ^[171]

See also

• List of football clubs with home-grown players policy

• Rangers F.C. signing policy, a Scottish club believed to have had an unwritten rule (now discontinued) to only sign non-Catholics
• Euskaltel–Euskadi, defunct Basque cycling team with similar rider hiring policy

• List of Athletic Bilbao players
• List of Basque footballers

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50. Yaser Hamed, Athletic Bilbao
51. Juega en Tercera División y ya es internacional con Palestina: la historia de Yaser Hamed [He plays in the Third Division and is now an international with Palestine: the story of Yaser Hamed], Diario AS (in Spanish) 6 June 2019
52. "Athletic Club seal four-year Yuri Berchiche deal". Marca. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
53. "Football / Yuri Berchiche balaie la possibilité de défendre les couleurs de l'Algérie" [Football / Yuri Berchiche sweeps the possibility of defending the colours of Algeria] (in French). Algérie Focus. 10 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
54. "Équipe nationale : Yuri Berchiche dit non à l'Algérie" [National team: Yuri Berchiche says no to Algeria] (in French). ObservAlgerie. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
55. "El portero del Bilbao Athletic Padilla, citado con México" [Bilbao Athletic goalkeeper Padilla, called up for Mexico] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
56. "Mexicano Álex Padilla firma buen debut con el Athletic en LaLiga" [Mexican Álex Padilla makes a good debut with Athletic in LaLiga] (in Spanish). ESPN Deporte. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
57. "Atangana surge entre los sucesores de Arrizabalaga" [Atangana emerges among the successors of Arrizabalaga]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 14 November 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
58. "El Athletic, a por un infantil camerunés de Osasuna" [Athletic, in for a Cameroonian child from Osasuna] (in Spanish). El Correo. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
59. "Loic Boum es ya nuevo jugador del Athletic" [Loic Boum is now a new Athletic player]. La Cantera de Lezama (in Spanish). 4 August 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
60. "Nico sigue la estela de Iñaki Williams" [Nico follows in the wake of Iñaki Williams] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
61. "Draw against Real Valladolid at San Mamés". Athletic Club website. 28 April 2021.
62. "El portero Kevin Rios del Arenas ya entrena en Lezama y se incorporará al Athletic la próxima temporada" [Goalkeeper Kevin Rios from Arenas is already training in Lezama and will join Athletic next season]. La Cantera de Lezama (in Spanish). 5 May 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
63. "El futuro que viene: Alex Padilla, Luis Bilbao y Malcom Adu Ares" [The future to come: Alex Padilla, Luis Bilbao and Malcom Adu Ares]. Deia (in Spanish). 23 July 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
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65. "Álvaro Djalo, el primo de Adu Ares, del Begoña a la primera división de Portugal" [Álvaro Djalo, the cousin of Adu Ares, from Begoña to the Portuguese first division]. El Correo (in Spanish). 16 September 2022.
66. "Maecky Lubrano (Bayonne): "ma famille habite ici"" [Maecky Lubrano (Bayonne): "my family lives here"] (in French). Actufoot. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
67. "Mathys Lunel À Bilbao" [Mathys Lunel to Bilbao] (in French). Aviron Bayonnais FC. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
68. "The French Basque Country: a rugby heartland with world-class footballers". The Guardian. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
69. "Laporte: "Tengo sangre vasca por parte de mis bisabuelos"" [Laporte: "I have Basque blood through my great-grandparents"] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
70. "Aymeric Laporte, un Basque parmi les Basques" [Aymeric Laporte, a Basque among the Basques] (in French). Only Football. 14 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
71. "Aymeric Laporte a "arrêté de regarder les papillons"" [Aymeric Laporte "stopped watching the butterflies”] (in French). So Foot. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
72. "Biography - Athletic Bilbao signing and beginnings". Aymeric Laporte official website. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
73. "El extremo zurdo Yanis Rahmani se incorpora al Mirandés para las dos próximas temporadas" [The left winger Yanis Rahmani joins Mirandés for the next two seasons]. El Correo (in Spanish). 27 June 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
74. Alfonso Herrán (7 August 2024). "Johaneko, una perla vascofrancesa para el Athletic" [Johaneko, a French-Basque pearl for Athletic]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
75. "Athletic Club's impossible dream of signing Griezmann". Marca. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
76. "Griezmann not interested in Bilbao speculation". FourFourTwo. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
77. "¿Puede fichar el Athletic a Griezmann?" [Can Athletic sign Griezmann?] (in Spanish). EITB. 6 June 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
78. "Antoine Griezmann no entra en la filosofía del Athletic de Bilbao" [Antoine Griezmann does not enter the philosophy of Athletic Bilbao] (in Spanish). Goal. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
79. "Cristiano Ronaldo wins Ballon d'Or for the fourth time". The Guardian. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
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81. "Interés por el mexicano Espericueta" [Interest in the Mexican Espericueta]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 26 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
82. "Le dice 'no' a Europa" [He says "no" to Europe] (in Spanish). El Nuevo Heraldo. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
83. "Forlán dona su camiseta al Museo del Athletic" [Forlán donates his shirt to the Athletic Museum]. Canal Athletic (in Spanish). 13 September 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
84. "Forlán afirma que negoció su fichaje por el Athletic" [Forlán confirms that he negotiated a transfer to Athletic]. El Correo (in Spanish). 14 September 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
85. "La sorpresa de Lamikiz podría ser un extremo argentino de River Plate" [The surprise of Lamikiz could be an Argentine winger from River Plate]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 June 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
86. "Macua prefiere cerrar con Del Nido la compra de Kepa antes de negociar con el jugador" [Macua prefers to conclude the purchase of Kepa with Del Nido before negotiating with the player]. El Correo (in Spanish). 28 June 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
87. "El Athletic vuelve a pensar en Jorge López" [Athletic thinks again about Jorge López]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 June 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
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91. "Asensio's father dreamed his son would play for Athletic Club". Diario AS. 22 October 2016. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
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93. "Un "filipino" que llegó a jugar con el Athletic-Club" [A "Filipino" who came to play with Athletic Club] (in Spanish). Memorias del Fútbol Vasco (Basque football memories). 23 May 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
94. "Higinio Ortúzar: el chileno de sangre vasca" [Higinio Ortúzar: the Chilean with Basque blood]. Club Perarnau - The Tactical Room (in Spanish). 13 November 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
95. "Zarautz: Javier Iturriaga debutó con el Athletic de Bilbao" [Zarautz: Javier Iturriaga made his debut with Athletic Bilbao] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
96. "Carlos Petreñas Llorente: El soriano del Athletic". Sestao en el Recuerdo (Sestao Memories) (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2019.
97. "Isaac Oceja, el Samitier de la defensa bilbaína" [Isaac Oceja, the Samitier of the Bilbao defence]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 29 January 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
98. "Nunca nadie marcó tantos goles" [Nobody ever scored so many goals]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 22 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
99. "Luis Fernando". Villafáfila.net (in Spanish). 11 June 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
100. "Rastrojo: "La gabarra fue lo mejor que he vivido"" [Rastrojo: "The barge was the best I have lived"]. Sentimiento Athletic (Athletic feelings) (in Spanish). 11 June 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
101. "Manu Nuñez y Eusebio Ríos, pasado rojiblanco e históricos en El Murcia" [Manu Nuñez and Eusebio Ríos, past red-and-whites and historic figures in Murcia](PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 22 December 2007. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
102. "Sarabia, la figura del actual Athlétic de Bilbao" [Sarabia, the figurehead of today's Athlétic Bilbao]. El País (in Spanish). 3 April 1983. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
103. "¿Habrá un 'lehendakari' negro?" [Will there be a black 'lehendakari'?]. El País (in Spanish). 1 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
104. "La Operación Retorno de 1934" [The Operation Return of 1934]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 17 January 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2018– via Historia Rojiblancas.
105. "A Spanish refugee boy 78 years ago blazed the trail for David Silva and Cesc Fabregas". The Independent . 6 September 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
106. "First foreign footballers: Spain's Emilio Aldecoa". Football365. 16 March 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
107. "Into the ether: When football welcomed refugees". Amnesty International. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
108. "El momento histórico" [The historic moment]. Algo Más que Fútbol. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
109. "Llorente sí podría haber ido a Oyón" [Llorente could have gone to Oyón]. La Rioja (in Spanish). 26 October 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
110. "Fue todo tan rápido que ni me lo creía" [Everything was so fast I could not believe it]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 18 January 2005. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
111. "Ríos y el Athletic pasan a la historia" [Ríos and Athletic make history]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 20 July 1997. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
112. "Athletic confirm Herrera deal". ESPN. 7 February 2011. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
113. "Leaving the pain in Spain". The Guardian . 24 August 2003. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
114. "Euskadi 5–1 Nigeria" (in Spanish). Euskadiko Futbol Federakundea. 29 November 1999. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
115. "Athletic Club Reportedly Interested In Signing Argentina U19 midfielder Gonzalo Desio". Inside Athletic. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
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117. "Real Sociedad: Hasta trece tránsfugas han defendido las dos camisetas" [Up to thirteen 'traitors' have defended the two shirts]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 13 October 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
118. "La Chantrea, el mejor vivero, es del Athletic" [Chantrea, Athletic's best nursery] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
119. Lowe, Sid (26 March 2001). "Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football by Phil Ball (London: WSC Books, 2001)". The Guardian . Retrieved 15 November 2017.
120. "Areso, último capítulo del trasvase Osasuna-Athletic" [Areso, latest chapter of the Osasuna-Athletic transfers]. Marca (in Spanish). 7 July 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
121. "Tajonar y el eterno peligro" [Tajonar and the eternal danger] (in Spanish). Vavel. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
122. "El Athletic ha pagado casi 15 millones a la Real en 21 años" [Athletic has paid almost 15 million to Real in 21 years]. El Correo (in Spanish). 1 December 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
123. "550 millones por un juvenil: Athletic paga por Etxeberria un traspaso récord por un español" [550 million for a youth: Athletic pays a record transfer for a Spaniard for Etxeberria]. El País (in Spanish). 7 July 1995. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
124. "Athletic spend big on starlet". Sky Sports. 2 July 2006. Archived from the original on 3 April 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
125. "Zubiaurre gets Athletic chance". UEFA. 1 July 2005. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
126. "El Athletic presentó ayer a Zubiaurre y la Real estalla" [Athletic presented Zubiaurre yesterday and Real explodes]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 2 July 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
127. "El Athletic tendrá que pagar cinco millones a la Real por Zubiaurre" [Athletic to pay Real Sociedad €5 million for Zubiaurre]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 5 June 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
128. "Iñigo Martínez signing". Athletic Bilbao. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
129. "Athletic Bilbao sign Inigo Martinez to replace Aymeric Laporte". Goal.com. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
130. "Aymeric Laporte: Manchester City sign French defender for club-record £57m". BBC Sport . 30 January 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
131. "Urrutia defiende que la base del primer equipo sea vizcaína" [Urrutia argues that below the first team is Biscayan]. Naiz (in Spanish). 22 June 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
132. "Real Zaragoza 2 Athletic Club 1 02/03/2011". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
133. "Un Athletic con sello de Bizkaia" [An Athletic with Biscay stamp]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 8 July 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
134. "El 77% de canteranos del Athletic son vizcaínos" [77% of Athletic homegrown players are from Biscay]. El Desmarque (in Spanish). 27 November 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
135. "Saborit abre el debate de la filosofía del club" [Saborit opens debate on club philosophy]. Marca (in Spanish). 27 February 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
136. "Saborit, un catalán en el Athletic" [Saborit, a Catalan at Athletic]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 January 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
137. El precedente de Saborit [The precedent of Saborit], El Correo (in Spanish), 28 February 2008
138. ¿Qué fue de…Imanol Schiavella? Entrevista [What became of… Imanol Schiavella? Interview], La Cantera de Lezama (in Spanish), 15 November 2013
139. Jesús Dulce Prado, BDFutbol
140. Entrevista Familia Dulce (Ander y Jesús) [Dulce Family Interview (Ander and Jesús)], Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (in Spanish), 8 February 2017
141. El exrojiblanco Ander Dulce vuelve a sus orígenes [The former red-and-white Ander Dulce returns to his origins], El Correo (in Spanish), 4 October 2019
142. "Youssouf Diarra se incorporará al Basconia" [Youssouf Diarra to join Basconia] (in Spanish). La Cantera De Lezama. 24 June 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
143. "Ander Alaña: "Si Diarra está aquí entra en la filosofía"" [Ander Alaña: "If Diarra is here he enters the philosophy"] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 23 July 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
144. "Diarra provokes debate about the 'Basque-only' philosophy". Diario AS. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
145. "Ibrahima Deng, assigned to Leioa of Segunda B" [Ibrahima Deng, assigned to Leioa of Segunda B]. El Desmarque (in Spanish). 25 January 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
146. "El juvenil Deiby Ochoa nuevo fichaje desde el Comillas CF" [The junior Deiby Ochia is a new signing from Comillas CF] (in Spanish). La Cantera De Lezama. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
147. "El Athletic hace saltar por los aires su centenaria filosofia trayendo a Lezama a jovenes de fuera de Euskal Herria" [Athletic throws out their century-old philosophy bringing youngsters to Lezama from outside the Basque Country] (in Spanish). Orain.eus. 22 June 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
148. "El Athletic expulsa a 150 canteranos por su procedencia riojana" [Athletic expels 150 canteranos for their Riojan origin]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 21 October 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
149. "El Athletic no admitirá a niños riojanos en su escuela alavesa de Oion" [Athletic will not admit children from La Rioja in their Alavese school at Oion]. El Correo (in Spanish). 21 October 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
150. "Cristian Ganea: Initial agreement with FC Viitorul". Athletic Bilbao. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
151. "El Athletic ficha a Cristian Ganea, el primer rumano de su historia" [Athletic sign Cristian Ganea, the first Romanian in their history]. ABC (in Spanish). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
152. "El Athletic ficha al internacional rumano Cristian Ganea" [Athletic sign the Romanian international Cristian Ganea]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
153. "Oficial: el Athletic ficha a Kenan Kodro hasta 2022" [Official: Athletic sign Kenan Kodro until 2022]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 31 January 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
154. El ariete Ewan Urain vuelve a ser reclutado por Escocia Sub-21 [Striker Ewan Urain is again recruited by Scotland U21], El Correo (in Spanish), 23 August 2021
155. La hija del pelotari [The pelotari's daughter], El País, 18 December 2019 (in Spanish)
156. Damaris Egurrola: Lyon midfielder on switching nationalities from Spain to the Netherlands, BBC Sport, 29 March 2022
157. "Lucía García marcó su primer gol con la Selección Sub-19" [Lucía García scored her first goal with the U19 National Team]. AS (in Spanish). 17 September 2015.
158. "Maite Zabala: 'Athletic-en jokatzea nire betiko amesa izan da'" [Maite Zabala: 'Playing at Athletic is my everlasting dream']. Bizkaie (in Basque). 2004. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
159. "U.S. women abroad (April 4): Maite Zabala spends debut on the bench". Soccer America. 5 April 2004. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
160. Melero, Germán (25 October 2019). ""Estoy convencida de que podemos ganarles"" [I am convinced that we can beat them.]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2021.
161. "El Athletic se estrena con una contundente goleada sobre el Eibar (9-1)" [Athletic opens with a resounding win over Eibar (9-1)]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 5 September 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
162. "El fichaje de Bibiane abre el debate sobre la filosofía" [The signing of Bibiane opens a debate on philosophy]. Deia (in Spanish). 22 June 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
163. "Porträt: Bibiane Schulze Solano". 1.FFC Frankfurt (in German). Retrieved 28 July 2019.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
164. Rivas, Jon (22 June 2019). "Bibiane Schulze, una alemana muy vasca para el Athletic" [Bibiane Schulze, a very Basque German for Athletic]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2019.
165. "Bibiñe Belausteguigoitia, una mujer de carácter: exiliada en México, campeona de Euskadi y ahora tenista senior" [Bibiñe Belausteguigoitia, a woman of character: exiled in Mexico, champion of Euskadi and now senior tennis player]. Euskal Kultura (in Spanish). 26 February 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
166. "Ibone Belausteguigoitia (MEX): 2008 Honor Diver". International Swimming Hall of Fame . Retrieved 27 July 2019.
167. "Seniors Player Profile: Mara Solano". International Tennis Federation . Retrieved 28 July 2019.
168. "Bibiane Schulze : Tempête allemande sur la philosophie de l'Athletic Club" [Bibiane Schulze: German storm on the philosophy of Athletic Club]. Furia Liga (in French). 1 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
169. Westhoff, Alex (16 October 2020). "Nicht baskisch genug für Athletic Bilbao?" [Not Basque enough for Athletic Bilbao?]. Faz.net (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . Retrieved 18 May 2021.
170. "Athletic President Aitor Elizegi Defends The Signing Of Bibiane Schulze-Solano With Controversial Statements". Inside Athletic Club. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
171. Sophie Istillart signs for two seasons, Athletic Bilbao, 25 August 2020

External links

• Athletic Club players in La Liga (with place of birth) at BDFutbol