Athletic Bilbao: A Club with a Rich History

jamal hejaze01/11/2023

2 minutes read

Athletic Bilbao: A Club with a Rich History — Lugo Athletic Bilbao and San Mames Stadium

Athletic Bilbao is a Spanish football club from Bilbao, Biscay in the Basque Country, the club has a rich history, having won several national league titles and domestic cups since their formation around the start of the 20th century, In this article, we will explore the history of Athletic Bilbao, its championships, the most prominent players, its stadium, and the club’s logo.

History of Athletic Bilbao

Athletic Bilbao was founded in 1898 by British migrant workers and young Basques who had studied in Britain, the club’s first official match was played in 1902, and in 1903, Bilbao FC was absorbed by Athletic Club, since then, Athletic Bilbao has become one of the most successful clubs in Spain, with eight La Liga titles and 23 Copa del Rey titles to their name.

One of the unique features of Athletic Bilbao is their policy of only fielding homegrown players, this policy has been in place since 1912, and it has helped the club develop a strong identity and a loyal fan base.

Championships

Athletic Bilbao is the fourth most successful club in La Liga with eight titles to their name, in the table of Copa del Rey titles, Athletic is second only to Barcelona, having won it 23 times, it is also the most successful Basque football club in both league and cup titles won.

Most Prominent Players

Athletic Bilbao has had many great players throughout its history, some of the most prominent players include:

Telmo Zarra: He is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 335 goals in 354 appearances.
Andoni Zubizarreta: He is the club’s all-time record appearance holder with 622 appearances.
Jose Angel Iribar: He is a legendary goalkeeper who played for Athletic Bilbao for 18 seasons.

Stadium

Athletic Bilbao plays its home matches at the San Mamés Stadium, which has a capacity of 53,289 spectators, the stadium has been the club’s home since 1913, and it has undergone several renovations over the years.

Club Logo

The Athletic Bilbao logo features a red and white shield with the letters “A” and “C” in the center. The letters stand for Athletic Club, and the red and white colors represent the Basque flag.