For a greater part of its history, Athletic Club, based in Bilbao, has been a notable contender challenging the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spanish football. Boasting 35 titles, it stands as the third-most successful club in Spain. However, only two of these honours have been secured since the beginning of the 21st century.
The last league and Copa del Rey titles for Athletic date back to the 1983/84 season. As Barcelona and Real Madrid flexed their financial might, Athletic found itself trailing in the competition. In this century, the club has clinched only two Super Cups, achieved in 2014/15 and 2019/20. The closest Athletic came to continental glory was its runner-up finish in the Europa League during the 2011/12 season.
Athletic, along with Barcelona and Real Madrid, has never experienced the setback of relegation. Maintaining this record is a goal for every season. The city feels a sense of relief when the club crosses 40 points in the season.
According to Mikel Gonzalez, the club’s sporting director, this marks a safeguard from any potential relegation.
Homegrown talent: Mikel Gonzalez, Athletic Club’s sporting director, takes pride in the club’s ‘Basque-only’ philosophy, which selects players of Basque origin. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
While Athletic may not vie for titles as consistently now, it proudly maintains its distinctive identity. Unlike Barcelona and Real Madrid, Athletic hasn’t changed its approach. The club continues to adhere to its unique philosophy of exclusively choosing players of Basque origin, considering it a badge of honor. “We play with just Basque players. Those who are born or formed in Basque country. The first criterion is easy. The second is: What does it mean to be formed here? The player or the family has to come to the Basque country for natural reasons like work,” says Gonzalez.
The Basque country comprises seven provinces spread across Spain and France: Biscay, Gipuzkoa, South Navarre, Alava, North Navarre, Soule, and Labourde.
“We are around two-and-a-half million people. Out of this, how many are professional players? Our market is small, so our investments are for our academy. We invest a lot in coaches and scouts,” says Gonzalez.
Athletic has established a feeder line for its first and second teams through its youth academy in Lezama. This academy has tie-ups with 160 local clubs, ensuring that it never runs out of talent. This apparatus has been in place for 125 years, contributing to the club’s 24 Copa del Rey crowns and three Super Cups, as well as their eight league wins.
“Just the opportunity to show the world that with this unique philosophy, we can fight against the best teams in Spain and the world,” says Gonzalez.
As one moves closer to the Pyrenees, the ideology diverges. Donostia-San Sebastian is the third-largest city in the Basque country, situated in the Gipuzkoa province. It is also the home of Athletic Club’s arch-rival, Real Sociedad. Real Sociedad followed a ‘Basque-only’ philosophy until 1989, when it signed Liverpool’s John Aldridge. “We have a different way of doing things. Our academy is open to the whole world. We know that with 720,000 inhabitants [in Gipuzkoa], staying in the football elite is impossible. We must be able to attract players,” says Luki Uriarte, director of grassroots football with Real.
Open to all: Luki Uriarte, director of grassroots football with Real Sociedad, says attracting talent from around the world is key to building a strong side. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The club’s leeway yielded rich dividends when its academy, Zubieta, produced French international Antoine Griezmann. Arriving in the Spanish coastal city, aged 14, from Burgundy, France, Griezmann worked his way up the ladder before moving away to Atletico Madrid in 2014.
“Griezmann has always been very clear in his statements that he is grateful for the work that Real did. It is very endearing. Technically, he was brilliant. He had good vision but lacked the strength to dribble away from trouble. We had to take good care of him,” says Uriarte, who was Griezmann’s coach at Real’s Under-15 and Under-16 teams.
Even as Real allows foreign talent to walk through its gates, it holds on to its resolution to give back to the region. Its board ensures that 80% of the talent in its associate clubs is from Gipuzkoa. The number eventually drops to 60% in its academy’s age-group teams.
“Our only policy is that our doors will never be closed for players from our community. The rest in our hands is to provide service to the players so they make it to the first team. We have a board of directors who believe in the grassroots system. We have a first-team coach who is willing to play them. We have to prepare them to take that leap. We are a modest club compared to the others in La Liga. When the players feel they can achieve something else at a different place, they are free to leave,” says Uriarte.
Real and Athletic have contrasting methods when it comes to their football teams. Real seems to prioritise the game over everything else, while Athletic tries to establish a unique identity. Real allows its academy players to leave and then signs non-Basque players to take their place. Meanwhile, Athletic makes every effort to promote its academy players to the first team. Two recent examples of this approach are Unai Simon and Nico Williams, who both came from Lezama and are now part of the Spanish national team. While Williams has already signed a long-term contract with Athletic, Simon reportedly has a verbal agreement in place.
In the Indian context, football teams in Goa experimented with the strategy of prioritising local talent. Esteemed clubs like Churchill Brothers and Dempo SC exclusively fielded local players in the Goa Premier League, except for foreign signings. However, this approach, as noted by Pradhyum Reddy, the Chief Executive Officer of Dempo Sporting Club, was deemed unsustainable.
“In Goa now, you look at clubs like Vasco; they are getting players from other states. There were a lot of Goa players back in the day, no doubt. For example, Dempo went with a Goan squad last season in the second division, and we came up short. This year, we decided to include players from outside, and we won our group,” says Reddy.
“If you are trying to be a top team, then maybe you need to get good players from everywhere through scouting. It is unlikely that one region in India is going to produce everything you need in every position,” he adds.
Limiting a football club’s recruitment to only local players would hinder its potential. Steve Charles, a scout working in Mizoram for the Reliance Foundation Young Champs, explains that genetics vary across India and that by diversifying the squad with players from different regions, the club can benefit from a more well-rounded team with a variety of skill sets.
“Players up north are bigger in frame. Down south, [the physique] is above average; in the North-East, they’re not among the tallest people. In the South, you see a lot of creative players; you see a number 10, a number eight. They are runners. They are box-to-box. They have a high level of endurance. So that could be to their advantage. In the North-East, you see a lot of very pacey wingers, whose centre of gravity is low.
“Considering that, we are moving in a direction to really understand the positional requirements of the ISL clubs and national team,” Charles had said in a previous interview with Sportstar.
Laser focus: Athletic has carved a path around its lack of diversity by focusing on high-performance management. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Back in Bilbao, Athletic has carved a path around this lack of diversity by focusing on high-performance management. “We have made five verticals: medical, physical conditioning, nutrition, sports science, and psychology. For example, suppose we do not have enough centre-backs in the first team. Our only option is to improve the players on the B or C teams. So, one of these six or seven players has to be our next centre-back. They have specifics to work on. Physically, tactically, and so on. So, we train to improve the players in these areas. Even if they improve one percent, it makes a difference for us,” says Gonzalez.
Tweaking its century-old method has been an unwelcome proposition among Athletic’s top brass and 45,000-strong members, even in the face of an impending demographic shift. The Basque Institute of Statistics had predicted that the region’s population would decline by nearly five per cent between 2013 and 2023. In addition, the Basque country’s average age was 45.6 years in 2023, two years more than Spain’s average. Similarly, only 19% of its population was 19 or under in 2023.
But Athletic would rather be a struggling club with an identity than a successful club without one. “I do not see this happening. I am also one of those 45,000 members. For me, philosophy is the essence. Being unique guarantees our success,” says Nerea Oritz, Athletic’s vice president.
For a club that has carved a space for itself in the elite league over the past 125 years, the questions over the policy and its validity hold a familiar tone. But the players, the fans, and the management work single-mindedly to stay true to their beloved philosophy.
“This question, 25 years ago, was the same. We thought it would be impossible to play in La Liga because the clubs are investing a lot and taking players. It was the same 50 years ago,” says Gonzalez.
The correspondent was in Spain at the invitation of La Liga, recently.
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