Football in the Basque Country

Association football has been a part of Basque Country culture since the end of the 19th century. As of 2021, three Basque teams play in La Liga, the top division of the Spanish football system: Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad and Deportivo Alavés.

History[]

Football has been played of the Basque Country since the end of the 19th century, when the industrial exchange between Bilbao and Great Britain was in full effect. Along with which came the newly founded sport of football. A game between a group of British sailors/dockworkers and the locals ensued;^[1] the much advanced British won by a resounding score, but the enthusiastic locals were quick to play another match as the sport was sparking high interest in the area. Combined with interest from Basque middle-class students who had played and learned the game while studying in Britain, these influences led to the creation of the first major club in the Basque Country, Athletic Bilbao.^[1] In turn, more teams were founded such as Vasconia, Real Sociedad, and Irun Football-Club in 1906.^[1] With the game becoming increasingly popular, the indigenous game of Basque pelota would soon come under threat, so much so that the Atotxa Stadium in San Sebastián forced nearby pelota courts to be demolished in order to make way for renovations, or more specifically, increase the capacity to 20,000.^[1] Alongside the development of football was the introduction of Basque nationalism by Sabino Arana, considered by some as the founding "father".^[2] Arana was involved in the creation of the flag, anthem, and ultimately the Basque Nationalist Party (Partido Nacionalista Vasco, PNV).^[2] Football and Basque nationalism are closely knitted throughout history and would go through significant historical events such as the Spanish Civil War, and the creation of Francoist Spain. In the time after, Basque football was dragged through politics, with locals banned from showing autonomy, and the Basque Country national football team playing a few games during the 36-year dictatorship.^[2] As time went on, the Basque Football Federation would come into inception in 1988.^[2]

In the early 21st century, Basque football is represented by many clubs old and new, some of them holding a strong presence in the Spanish top division La Liga, including Athletic Bilbao (who have played there on a constant basis since its formation in 1928 and been champions eight times, plus 23 Copa del Rey wins and two UEFA Cup / Europa League finals), Real Sociedad (present in all but a handful of seasons, champions twice and Copa winners three times, including 2020 which was a Basque derby between Athletic and Real), Deportivo Alavés (somewhat intermittent members of the top division but with strong periods and a UEFA Cup final appearance in 2001) and SD Eibar (from 2014 to 2021, characterised as one of the smallest clubs to take part at that level).^[3]

Basque Country national team[]

Basque Country national team (green, white, red kit) vs Venezuela in Gasteiz

The Basque Country national football team (Euskal selekzioa) selects players from the Greater Basque region comprising the Basque Autonomous Community (Biscay, Álava and Gipuzkoa) plus neighbouring Navarre – the historical home of the Basque people but in modern times has a distinct identity which is only partly Basque, and home to CA Osasuna at club level – within Spain, and the three small provinces making up the Northern Basque Country in France, a territory where rugby union is very popular but has produced some talented players. The representative team is run by the Basque Football Federation. Since its inception in 1930, the team went through a series of names, was organised under exile in Latin America with some of the region's leading players of the time during the Civil War, and only played twice under Franco's dictatorship. After his death in 1975, The team was up and running again, playing 26 friendly games so far against countries from around the world associated with FIFA – however they themselves are not connected to FIFA.

Youth football[]

Youth football in the region (overseen by both the Basque Federation) has its own traditions and advanced style of play. Many youth teams are taught to play with possession-based style and quick thinking.^[4] Another unique aspect in the region is the emphasis that is placed on producing local talent, with Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao assessed as consistently using the highest proportion of homegrown players across the top European football leagues in the 2010s. Most of Real's players are Gipuzkoa locals from their academy, while Athletic's 100-year-old official signing policy limits themselves to players from the Greater Basque region (either born there, raised there i.e. received coaching at a local club including their own youth academy, or occasionally due to family ties, although they have never signed an established professional player on this more tenuous basis).^[4] Athletic Bilbao are highly regarded due to their ability to compete against the biggest teams like Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and FC Barcelona over several decades despite this restriction and commitment to local young players.^[5] With the Basque representative team organised on only an occasional, unofficial basis, the region has provided a long list of players for the Spanish national team throughout its history, particularly in the early decades of the 20th century when a high proportion of the top players across the whole league were Basque due to the sport's popularity in the region, but also in subsequent periods due to the focus on homegrown talent by the major clubs (although this is true to a certain extent across Spain, with all the leading teams using a long-established cantera system of youth development).

Clubs (excluding reserve and woman's sections)[]

Defunct Clubs (including reserve teams)[]

See also[]

• Basque football derbies
• Category:Football in the Basque Country (autonomous community)
• List of Basque footballers

References[]