Athletic Club (women)

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Athletic Femenino
Club Athletic Bilbao logo.svg
Full nameAthletic Club Femenino
Nickname(s)Las Leonas
(The Lionesses)
Neskak
(Girls)
Rojiblancas
(Red-Whites)
Founded2002;22 years ago (2002)
Ground Lezama (Field 2),
Biscay, Spain
Capacity3,250
President Aitor Elizegi
Head coach Iraia Iturregi
League Liga F
2022–23 Primera División, 9th
Website Club website

Athletic Club Femenino is the women's football section of Athletic Bilbao, competing in Liga F. Athletic is one of the most successful women's teams in Spain, with five championships. Just as with the men's team, their official policy is to sign players native to or trained in football in the greater Basque Country. [1] The team plays at the club's facilities in Lezama on the outskirts of Bilbao.

Contents

History

The team was founded in 2000 as Leioa EFT after CD Sondika disbanded its women's team, which had played in the defunct División de Honor in the 1990s. After Leioa gained promotion to the new Superliga Femenina in just two years, it was absorbed by Athletic Bilbao, with the process coordinated by Ernesto Valverde and Andoni Zubizarreta. [2] At that time a reserve team, Athletic B , was also introduced – they currently compete in the second tier, the Primera Federación. [3]

In their debut season Athletic won the championship, and successfully defended the title in the next two seasons, becoming the first team to be awarded the trophy to keep permanently. [4] After a disappointing 2006 season, Athletic won its fourth title in 2007. As a result of their title wins they made four appearances in the UEFA Women's Cup, being knocked out in the group stages by 1. FFC Frankfurt in 2004, Djurgårdens IF in 2005, SV Saestum in 2006 and ASDCF Bardolino in 2008.

Aerial view of the team's mini-stadium at Lezama, 2019 Lezamakirol2 (zelaia 2).jpg
Aerial view of the team's mini-stadium at Lezama, 2019

Athletic finished third in the next four championships between 2008 and 2011. In 2012 they were runners-up, and reached the Copa de la Reina final for the first time, losing to RCD Espanyol after extra time. [5] On 5 January 2013, the team celebrated its tenth anniversary, beating Arsenal LFC in a friendly match. They were cup runners-up again in 2014, this time losing on penalties to FC Barcelona, having finished second behind the same club in the league.

On 5 June 2016, Athletic won its fifth league title, nine years after its last success. [6] They competed in the UEFA Women's Champions League the following season, where they were eliminated by Danish champions Fortuna Hjorring in the Round of 32.

In June 2017, the club announced they would introduce a second reserve team for the coming season, made up of girls aged 13 to 15. [7] Later that year, a club proposal to enter another girls team (12/13 years) into a local boys' youth league was rejected by the provincial council. [8]

In January 2019, the club broke the European record for attendance at a women's football match with 48,121 spectators at San Mamés for a Copa de la Reina quarter-final fixture, a 2–0 loss to Atlético Madrid. [9] [10] (however, it only stood for a few months until Barcelona played Atlético in front of a 60,739 crowd). [11] That match was the 14th played by the women's team in the two versions of the club's main stadium since the first in 2003, with three more played there during the next year. [12]

Season to season

As Leioa EFT

SeasonDivisionPlace Copa de la Reina [13]
2000–01 Reg. 1st [14] N/A
2001–02 1ª Nac. 1st [15] [16] N/A

As Athletic Bilbao

SeasonDivisionPlace Copa de la Reina [17]
2002–03 1st Quarterfinals
2003–04 1st Semifinals
2004–05 1st Quarterfinals
2005–06 5th Quarterfinals
2006–07 1st Quarterfinals
2007–08 3rd Quarterfinals
2008–09 3rd Quarterfinals
2009–10 3rd Quarterfinals
2010–11 3rd Quarterfinals
2011–12 2nd Runner-up [18]
2012–13 2nd Quarterfinals
2013–14 2nd Runner-up [19]
2014–15 3rd Quarterfinals
2015–16 1st Quarterfinals
2016–17 5th Quarterfinals
2017–18 3rd Semifinals
2018–19 5th Quarterfinals
2019–20 5th Semifinals
2020–21 11th Did not enter
2021–22 7th Round of 16
2022–23 10th Semifinals

Honours

Titles

Athletic players celebrating the team's fourth championship on 6 May 2007 at San Mames. Lehoiemeak txapeldunak.JPG
Athletic players celebrating the team's fourth championship on 6 May 2007 at San Mamés.

Official competitions

Invitational competitions

UEFA competition record

SeasonCompetitionStageResultOpponentScorers
2003–04

Women's Cup

Group stage

2–0
5–2
1–8
Flag of Austria.svg Neulengbach
Flag of Portugal.svg 1º Dezembro
Flag of Germany.svg Frankfurt
Castrillo, Fernández
Iturregi 2, Angulo, Ferreira, Ibarra
Juaristi
2004–05

Women's Cup

Qualifying stage

10–3
1–1
5–0
Ulster Banner.svg Newtownabbey Strikers
Flag of Israel.svg Maccabi Holon
Flag of Romania.svg Clujana
Sánchez 2, Fernández, Ferreira, Iturregi, Onaindia, Orueta, Vázquez, Zabala + 1 o.g.
Juaristi
Fernández 2, Vázquez 2, Orueta
Group stage

2–2
2–3
5–1
Flag of England.svg Arsenal
Flag of Sweden.svg Djurgården/Älvsjö
Flag of Greece.svg Aegina
Iturregi, Vázquez
Ferreira, Olabarrieta
Vázquez, Fernández, Ibarra, Murua
2005–06

Women's Cup

Qualifying stage

6–2
3–0
1–1
Flag of Scotland.svg Glasgow City
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Rapide Wezemaal
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Saestum
Vázquez 3, Fernández, Gurrutxaga, Juaristi
Fernández, Juaristi, Orueta
Fernández
2007–08

Women's Cup

Qualifying stage

4–0
16–0
0–1
Flag of Slovenia.svg Krka Novo Mesto
Flag of Malta.svg Birkirkara
Flag of Italy.svg Bardolino
Díez, Ferreira, Murua, Vázquez
Vázquez 7, Juaristi 3, Olabarrieta 2, Díez, Iturregi, Murua, Sánchez
2016–17

Women's Champions League

Round of 32

2–1
1–3 (a.e.t.)
Flag of Denmark.svg Fortuna Hjørring Corres, Oroz
Vázquez

Players

Current squad

As of 3 October 2023 [21] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Mariasun Quiñones
2 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Maddi Torre
3 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Naia Landaluze
4 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Garazi
5 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Naroa
6 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Irene Oguiza
7 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Nahikari García
8 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Marta Unzué
9 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Yulema Corres
10 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Paula Arana
11 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Ane Azkona
12 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Gara
13 GK Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Adriana Nanclares
No.Pos.NationPlayer
14 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Eunate
15 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Clara Pinedo
16 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Maite Zubieta
17 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Nerea Nevado
18 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Itxaso
19 MF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Mariana
20 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Ane Elexpuru
21 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Bibiane Schulze
22 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Peke
23 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Patricia Zugasti
24 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Sanadri
27 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Sara Ortega
31 FW Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Jone Amezaga

Out on Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer

Reserve team

Former players

For details of current and former players, see Category:Athletic Club (women) players.

See also

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References

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  4. A historic triple. El Mundo Deportivo, 18 April 2005
  5. Mari Paz dresses as a queen to give Espanyol its sixth Cup. Marca, 10 June 2012
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