Founded on July 18, 1898, Athletic Club (commonly known as Athletic Bilbao) is one of the oldest football clubs in Europe. Nicknamed the "Basque Lions" and based in Bilbao, located in Spain’s Basque Country, the club boasts one of the most loyal fanbases in Spanish football. Their home ground, San Mamés, attracts passionate football fans from around the world. From their unique Basque player policy to the story behind their home stadium, this article reveals five things you might not know about Athletic Club.
The Secret Behind Athletic Club’s Red-and-White Jerseys
In the late 19th century, Basques began to embrace football under the influence of British workers and local people who had studied in the UK. Initially, Athletic Club wore all-white jerseys. However, in 1902, ahead of the team’s participation in the Coronation Cup (the predecessor of the Copa del Rey), Juan Moser—an Irish descendant living in Bilbao—donated blue-and-white jerseys to the club. Seven years later, the club tasked player and board member Juan Elorduy with bringing back a batch of blue-and-white jerseys from the UK. But Elorduy, who was in Southampton at the time, could not find jerseys in that color. Instead, he turned his attention to the red-and-white jerseys worn by local teams. Noting that this color scheme matched the official flag of Bilbao, he bought some and brought them back to the Basque city by ferry. The board approved the change in jersey color, and since then, Athletic Club has worn its iconic red-and-white jerseys.
The Basque Player Policy
Athletic Club takes pride in itself, and its long-standing "Basque Player Policy" has earned the team widespread acclaim. As early as 1912, the Basque Lions established a policy to nurture and field players who were born or raised in the Basque Country. According to the club’s official website, "The club’s sporting philosophy adheres to a principle: Athletic Club can only use players who come from its own youth academy, or the youth academies of other clubs affiliated with the Basque Country, or players born in the regions that make up the Basque Country: Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa, Álava, Navarre, Labourd, Soule, and Lower Navarre." This concept is unique in European football—Athletic Club has reached an extremely high competitive level solely by relying on local players who identify with the club’s values, including young talents promoted from the famous Lezama Academy.
One of Spain’s Most Successful Clubs
Given Athletic Club’s Basque Player Policy, you might assume their path to winning trophies would be fraught with difficulties. However, when it comes to domestic championship titles, Athletic Club is arguably the third most successful club in Spain.
In fact, only Barcelona has won more Copa del Rey titles (32) than Athletic Club (24). The latter has also claimed the La Liga title eight times (in the 1929/30, 1930/31, 1933/34, 1935/36, 1942/43, 1955/56, 1982/83, and 1983/84 seasons). What’s more, the Basque side has never been relegated to the second tier of Spanish football. In fact, Athletic Club is one of only three teams in La Liga that have never been relegated—the other two being Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Story Behind the Name "San Mamés" Stadium
Athletic Club’s home ground is called San Mamés, a name steeped in rich history. Its true origins can be traced back to the martyrdom of Mammes during the Byzantine Empire. Mammes was born around 259 AD in Caesarea, Cappadocia. Despite persecution and torture, he was renowned for his devout Christian faith and charitable deeds. Legend has it that after being thrown to a group of lions by the Romans, he successfully calmed the beasts. Mammes died in 275 AD, and reverence for him soon spread across the world. In 1447, a temple was built in Bilbao to honor him; this temple later evolved into the Sanctuary of San Mamés. Adjacent to this sanctuary, the landmark San Mamés Stadium was completed and opened in 1913. In fact, both the club’s home ground name "San Mamés" and the team’s nickname "Lions" derive from the memory of this martyr. A new stadium, dubbed "The Cathedral," was rebuilt on the original site and reopened in 2013. This 53,000-capacity venue has also won several awards.
Opponents Pay Tribute to Pichichi
Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, better known as "Pichichi," was born in Bilbao on May 23, 1892. He led the team to four Copa del Rey titles and five regional championships. Scoring 83 goals in 89 appearances, he is regarded as one of the most prolific strikers in Spanish football at the time. After Pichichi’s death, the club decided to build a statue in his memory, which was completed in December 1926. A month later, players from Hungarian side MTK Budapest laid a bouquet of flowers at the statue before their friendly match against Athletic Club. Since then, this gesture has become a tradition: the captain of any team visiting San Mamés for the first time lays a bouquet at the statue to pay tribute to this club legend. To honor him, the Spanish sports newspaper Marca has awarded the Pichichi Trophy to La Liga’s top scorer every season since the 1952/53 campaign.
