Athletic Club Bilbao

Athletic Club is a football team from the Basque Country in Spain that has been playing at the highest level continuously since 1928. With eight titles, the club has not only won more than any other team in the Primera División, but is also one of two teams, together with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, not to have been relegated in this span! It goes without saying that their greatest achievement came when they won La Liga by half a length over runners-up Mallorca, with the average point difference between the two finalists being 2 points - 24 to 22 (both records were later surpassed). ). Athletic Bilbao was founded long before modern sports competitions existed. "The Lions of Leon". The nickname worn by players in Spain's La Liga derives from Saint Mamas, who was thrown in a cage with several wild animals but was not eaten by them. His gesture of gratitude led to him later being canonized as one of our favorite saints! The San Mamés stadium was built right next to the church, hence its name: "Soccer Cathedral".

Athletic Bilbao, a club with strong Basque roots based in Spain and France, have strict rules on who gets to play for them. All players must either come from the four provinces mentioned or have grown up with Athletic (Rojiblancos) football. There are players who have spent their entire career at Athletic without ever moving!