Athletic Club - Football's True Traditionalists

If you've managed to learn anything this season from the farce that is the Premier League then it's most likely to be that morals in football are declining more and more rapidly. First Wayne Rooney, then Carlos Tevez and now Fernando Torres – three frontmen who were the talismen of their respective clubs – have all handed in transfer requests, turning their backs on the fans who had sung their names week in week out.

One club where you won't find such a lack of ethics is Athletic Club – a La Liga side from Bilbao, in the heart of the Basque Country. One of only four clubs in Spain that is owned by its fans (alongside Barcelona, Osasuna and Real Madrid), Bilbao have become renowned for their cantera policy of nurturing young Basque footballing talent.

Cantera, a Spanish word which literally means 'quarry', refers to the youth academies of the top football clubs in Spain. What sets Athletic's cantera policy apart from its peers is that nearly all players who make up the first team squad have come through it. The few that haven't have been purchased from other Spanish sides, but only if they are Basque. This is a region that is fiercely proud of its people, and this extends to its football team.

Athletic Club dates back to 1898 when, as is the case with so many Spanish football teams, it was established by a group of British migrants. These shipyard workers chose the colours of red and white for the club; an ode to the football teams of Sunderland and Southampton, cities where many of these workers were born and raised. The club adopted a policy of selecting only Basque players in 1912 and, barring a few minor modifications to the rule, this is a policy that has been strictly adhered to till this day, defying the increasingly global nature of the sport and the temptations of excess, greed and selfishness which modern football has succumed to.

Historically, Atheltic are the most successful football club in Spain after Barcelona and Real Madrid. They have eight league titles and twenty-three Copa del Reys to their name. All of this success achieved by a club whose selection pool is smaller than the West Midlands. Not bad at all.

It's fair to say that not everyone is sold on the youth policy that underpins Athletic Club. Some have labelled it foolish, backward and unfair. Others have gone as far as to call it racist. Their fans, on the other hand, feel nothing but an immense sense of pride toward their football club. This isn't a policy which aims to be racist, it's one that wishes to remain loyal to its roots and represent the community as best it can.

There's no doubt it has affected results on the pitch . The last of these eight league titles was won back in 1984 and while they have remained competitive in the Copa del Rey since this, they have struggled to challenge in the league. Such a lack of success would rarely be tolerated in the Premier League but in an era of mega-spending it is to be expected. Their fans do not seem too bothered and ultimately that is what a football club should do – serve its fans.

This is a policy that may restrict success but it is also one which maximises pride. One look at the club motto and you can see it is one that is unlikely to change any time soon.

“Con cantera y aficion, no hace falta importación” – “With home-grown teams and supporters, there is no need for imports.”

The Stars of Athletic Club


Fernando Llorente
The man who is fighting Fernando Torres tooth and nail for the right to partner David Villa, Llorente is Athletic Club's top scorer this season, having netted twelve times in twenty appearances. Such a successful strike rate has not gone unnoticed and Llorente is widely tipped to join Real Madird in the summer. Think of a slightly more gifted Andy Carroll and you're getting close to the style of player Llorente is.


Javi Martinez
A typically combative Basque midfielder, it's no surprise that numerous Premier League clubs – Liverpool and Manchester City among them – are believed to have Javi Martinez in their sights. A big and strong player, Martinez is also blessed with a great range of passing; a skill that has led to comparisons with Xabi Alonso.


Iker Muniain
The "Spanish Wayne Rooney" is a player you may not have heard of yet, but one that you are pretty likely to become aware of in the next few years. In only two years of senior football, Muniain has established himself as an integral part of the Athletic side and the fearless forward is expected to become the main man in Bilbao should Fernando Llorente depart as expected this summer.