Athletic Bilbao Tickets

Athletic Bilbao
Historically the most successful clubs in Spain is the Athletic Bilbao Club. It is a Spanish football club plays for Bilbao in Biscay, Italy. Athletic Bilbao are known as the Rojiblancos or Zurigorri because of their red and white striped shirts.

The members are also referred to as Los Leones because the stadium is built near a church called San Mames (a Christian thrown to lions but they refused to eat and he was made saint). The club services have been appreciated for promoting home grown players and club loyalty.

Athletic Bilbao Club has played in the Primera Division of La Liga since its inception in 1928. Real Madrid, and FC Barcelona, the founding members, have never been relegated. The Club have won La Liga on eight occasions.

The club is known for its cantera policy of bringing young Basque players through the ranks, also hiring top Basque players from other clubs.

Athletic only recruits professional players native to one of the seven Basque Provinces: Biscay, Guip?zcoa, ?lava and Navarre in Spain and Labourd, Soule and Lower Navarre in France.

Football was introduced to Bilbao by two different groups of players, both with British connections. These groups were ?British steel and shipyard workers' and ?Basque students' returning from schools in Britain.

In the late 1800s, the club was a major port at the heart of an important industrial area with iron mines and shipyards nearby. The industrial area was a driving force of the Spanish economy, also attracting many migrant workers.

Among them were shipyard workers from Southampton and Portsmouth who brought with them the game of football. In the early 1890s these workers formed together a Bilbao Football Club.

Meanwhile, sons of the Basque students had made the opposite journey to Britain to have their studies completed. While in the United Kingdom these students developed an interest in football. On their return to Bilbao, they began to arrange games with British workers.

In 1898 students belonging to the Gymnasium Zamacois led the foundation of the Athletic Club. Later, rules and regulations were developed.

In 1902 the two Bilbao clubs formed a combined team, known as Club Vizcaya and won the trophy after defeating FC Barcelona in the final. This led to the eventual merger of the two clubs as Athletic Club de Bilbao in 1903. Basque students also formed Athletic Club de Madrid the same year.

In the 1941 the club changed its name to Atl?tico Bilbao and refuted the policy of only letting Basque-born players in the team. The same year also saw Zarra make his debut who went on to score 294 goals in all competitions for Atletico.

Panizo was another great player from this era. In the 1943, 1944 and 1945 the club won a La Liga/Copa del Generalisimo double.

During the early 1950s the club featured the legendary forward line of Zarra, Panizo, Rafa Iriondo, Venancio and Agust?n Ga?nza who contributed notably winning the Copa del Generalisimo in 1950.

The arrival of coach Ferdinand Dauc?k enhanced the club's fortunes further, leading the club to more victories. Athletic Bilbao made their debut in European Club in 1956. In 1960s, the team had a single Copa del Rey win.

The 1970s again were not much better with only another single Copa del Rey win. In 1977 the club reached the UEFA Cup final and lost on away goals to Juventus. Since then the club had revert to using the name Athletic Bilbao.

In recent seasons, the Club have got weaker in mid-table. It had also seen a relegation battle during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons.