What defines a club? Is it the origins or is it the principles that the club sticks to over time. In the modern era, the fabric of the club is altered, sometimes the circumstances are forced, sometimes it is inevitable or sometimes it is just for the betterment of all the people involved.
The story of Athletic Bilbao, though, has its origins dating back to the year 1898, the year when it was founded. History is responsible for their nickname Los Leones (The Lions) – a name derived from the church St. Mammes, which in turn was named after the 3rd-century martyr (he became a martyr after being tortured for his unwavering faith).
Bilbao was one of the clubs responsible for founding the Spanish La Liga, also known as the Primera Division, back in the day. Although not as successful as their illustrious co-founders, Real Madrid and Barcelona, they still hold the record of not having been relegated from the top division.
Uniqueness contributing to Identity
As far as traditionalists are concerned, no club ticks all the boxes than Athletic Bilbao. Other than honouring traditions and preserving their heritage, Bilbao’s ongoing success, the story of innovation and reliance on its youth academy is a testament to the strong foundations laid down over time.
The club was formed when a group of 33 athletes came together to form Athletic.
Their belief in their Basque identity can even be found in the form of their club emblem and jersey which has vertical red and white stripes, showing two of the three Basque colors (green is the third). As the talent is mostly local in nature, coaching is also done in the Basque language, which is known as Euskara.
Although, it was not until April 5, 1901 that the final constitution of Athletic Bilbao was complete. A policy, which says that only players native to the Basque country are eligible to represent them, can often be a hindrance in the modern era.
Although, not a part of any of the by-laws as a written rule, it seems more of a customary rule that has been embedded in the workings of Athletic over time.
The working of Athletic’s model of concentrating and developing home-grown talent is an envious one. Unlike, other clubs which have gone more global these days, with a global network of scouts, Athletic concentrates more on local talent.
Apart from providing the local community with jobs, it has also been able to develop a local scouting network and bringing players through.
Loyalty
Globalisation in football often means the word ‘loyalty’ is no more a given feature of any player coming through the club’s system. Often, clubs sell their emerging talents in order for them to cash in and make a profit.
It is especially understandable for clubs plying their trade at the lower ends of league football, where commercial revenue is hard to generate.
Bilbao, though, are not often under pressure to sell their best players. In Spain, where the country is defined by different identities, cultures, and political ideologies, most matches often take the hue of an international match, where the stakes become much higher than usual.
Bilbao’s policy, though, ensures that the players attached to them are of unwavering loyalty when it comes to ticking the boxes of culture and ideology.
A serious example of loyalty can be their former captain Joseba Etxeberria Lizardi, who played mostly as a winger, ended up playing almost his entire career with Bilbao. The uniqueness of his loyalty is testified by the fact that he agreed to play his last season as a professional for free after his contract had expired. The gesture in modern football is unheard of.
Instead, the word loyalty was given a new definition when Athletic Bilbao last year conferred on Matt Le Tissier, the former Southampton forward, the award of “One Club Man Award”. Athletic went on to even state on their website the following, “For us, what we value most are your (Le Tissier's) values and principles, your loyalty to the same club during your entire career,"
The Way Forward
Aware of its limitations, the club President, Jose Urrutia, has always reiterated that the club’s policy is flexible. In an article, titled, ‘Using Only Local Talent, Athletic Bilbao Goes a Long Way’ in the New York Times by Sam Borden, Urrutia tells us how the club has an open door for all.
From welcoming immigrants and refugees and giving their children the opportunity to be a part of the academy, the club reiterates that race is not a form of restriction. And the presence of Inaki Williams, whose mother is Ghanaian and whose father is Liberian, is a testament to that.
According to him, the sense of identity – of belonging to the group – is what defines the root of the policy. This identity is what keeps the club go forward despite its self-imposed restrictions. Instead of being affected by the criticism of their policy, the club indeed draws its strength from their policy.
Especially in an era where local talent is often replaced by imported talent in all the top clubs, most youngsters become disheartened. '
The sporting director, Amorrortu, explains the sentiment of representing your local club on the national stage as always a matter of pride, and to maintain that tradition knowing that every child in the Basque country has a chance to play at the San Mames, is what keeps every child in the academy and the town going.
This achievable dream is what sets apart this club from other clubs in Spain. In the English Premier League, Southampton is a club which comes closest to replicating this model, but they don’t have a restrictive policy.
As clubs look to go global and get involved in their commercial ventures, they would do well to implement policies which will help them promote their local talent.
A journey of a club is often defined by their identities and their players, but when clubs of such stature choose to represent the people who helped them build it, it not only resonates with the fans locally but also globally.
