In a game short on morals but long on greed, Basque side Athletic Club de Bilbao stand alone as a shining beacon of hope.
Football is a game seen by many as having lost its way. The greed, corruption and extortionate wages have seen many an outsider turn their nose up at it and many a fan become disillusioned. Football clubs have been accused of forgetting their heritage, losing their roots and simply not caring about their supporters needs.
However, one club stands proudly above the rest, as they maintain a proud tradition that no other top-level club can compete with. This club is Athletic Bilbao.
Known to their fans as Athletic (as opposed to Bilbao for Franco-related reasons), this is a club that still, despite all the talk of finances and big-money buys, refuses to have a non-Basque player present among their playing squad. Other teams in the region have adopted similar policies, with the likes of Real Sociedad refusing to have any non-Basque Spaniards in their squad, but Athletic Club is dedicated solely to playing with a fully Basque team.
And once again, General Franco is behind the stance that Athletic have taken. After his successful coup to take power, the Basque region, much like Cataluña, was severely persecuted by the fascist dictator. The club’s name was changed to Club Atletico de Bilbao by Franco’s decree as he banned the usage of non-Spanish language names, as well as their ‘Basques only’ policy on playing staff.
The Basque language, like the Catalonian, was banned from being spoken publicly, apart from in San Mames. The significance behind Franco’s persecution was shown upon his death, when before a match between Athletic and Sociedad, the two captains carried out the Ikurrina (the Basque nationalist flag) and placed it in the centre of the pitch to signify freedom from the dictator.
Franco’s rule still rankles with the club. In the Europa League against Austria Vienna, neo-Nazi extremists taunted the Basque side with ‘Viva Franco’ banners, as well as launching a variety of objects at the Athletic players before invading the pitch in order to attack them.
However, Athletic have remained true to their Basques only policy, though the selection process has been cloudy. Players with Basque parents have been overlooked, while some who were born outside the region, but raised in it, have been allowed into their ranks and treated as one of their own.
It’s hardly a policy that has back-fired on the club, as along with Real Madrid and Barcelona they have yet to be relegated from La Liga since the very beginning. They have also racked up an impressive eight titles, again only bettered by the big two.
They boast a long list of players that have been deemed good enough to represent Spain at international level (and in the case of the French-Basque Bixente Lizarazu, France). This includes the great forward, Pichichi, whose name now adorns the award given to the league’s top goal-scorer for the season. Spain’s most-capped player, Andoni Zubizarreta spent a large portion of his career with Athletic. And Andoni Goikoetxea still keeps fame as ‘the Butcher of Bilbao’ after his hard tackling stance helped Athletic to titles in the 1980s as well as accounting for a year of Diego Maradona’s career.
Another to add to that list would be Athletic hero and current club captain, Joseba Etxeberria. Having been poached from Real Sociedad as a youngster, Etxeberria has gone on to make over 400 appearances and is a shining model to the modern day player. He is currently playing his final season for the club for free and with all the talk about footballers’ greed, Etxeberria is a beacon of light of honesty and integrity in a game sadly lacking.
As for the future, another star has emerged from Athletic’s famed academy. 16 year-old Iker Muniain has become one of Europe’s most sought after prospects. Having become the youngest player to ever appear for the senior side, Muniain has already notched four senior goals, the latest coming against high-flying Valencia.
The future looks bright for Athletic. With yet another batch of impressive youngsters breaking through the ranks, the club has continued to acknowledge its heritage and the importance they have to the Basque region. Athletic are doing well in the table as they push for a second consecutive season in Europe and have progressed to the next round of this season’s Europa League.
Gone are recent days of struggle as the club look to move towards success again. It is the least a club of such virtue in an otherwise corrupted game deserve.