Athletic Club de Bilbao is one of the most significant and unique football clubs in the world. It was one of the pioneers of the sport in the Basque Country and Spain, and – despite only recruiting players with a Basque connection – it is just one of three clubs never to have been relegated from Spain’s top-flight, La Liga.
In this episode, I speak to Gaizka Atxa, the co-founder of the London-based peña (supporters’ group), Mr Pentland Club, about Athletic Club. We look back over its history, its unique cantera player eligibility policy, the club’s role as a key identity figure within the Basque Country, and also discuss the matchday experience at San Mamés.
This is a fascinating episode about a very special club, I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed recording it with Gaizka.
Also, if you’re interested in Spanish football roots, check out my book, Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World by Chris Lee.
I release a new podcast every Monday, so be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. You can find Football Travel by Outside Write on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Player.FM and Anchor. Look for it in Google Podcasts too. We’d really appreciate a rating or view if you like what we’re doing as it helps others discover our podcast.