Athletic Club

Club History

Athletic Club, founded on August 8, 1898, by Basque students and British shipyard workers in Bilbao as Athletic Club de Bilbao, adopted the red-and-white stripes and the nickname “Los Leones” from the nearby San Mamés church. Committed to a unique cantera policy of fielding only Basque-born or Basque-raised players since 1912, the club dominated early Spanish football, winning the first Copa del Rey in 1903 and eight La Liga titles by 1956, led by icons like Telmo Zarra (La Liga’s all-time top scorer until 2014). After a 1980s double under Javier Clemente, Athletic secured its last league title in 1983–84 and has since reached two Champions League finals (1977 as runners-up, 2016 Europa League). With 8 La Liga titles, 23 Copas del Rey (second only to Barcelona), and the iconic San Mamés Stadium (53,000 capacity, rebuilt 2013), Athletic remains a global symbol of regional pride and footballing tradition in the Basque Country.