The North of Spain has a different side to your traditional derby games. On the border of France and themselves, the Basque region has a different view on derbies, one that embodies a competitive edge, and at the same time, a great deal of respect. This is a game that goes highly unnoticed under the El Clasico shadow but has the same amount of intensity, action, and ambition. This is the Basque Derby played between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, and it deserves your attention.
Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad have a fine bond they share together. Arguably Europe‘s oldest race, they believe they have distinct beliefs and should be seen differently from their neighbours, hence their close alliance. Both go way back in history, and this is their story, right from their pro-independence claims in the 1920s, to an infamous flag legislation in the 1970s, to the brewery of fine modern day football.
The Athletic Bilbao View: Cantera and San Mames
“Athletic is more than a football club, it is a feeling. We see ourselves as unique in world football and that defines our identity” – Ex-atletic bilbao president, José María Arrate
Born under British beginnings, Athletic Bilbao are one of only three sides, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, to have never been relegated from the Spanish top-flight. British miners and ship workers from the north coast of the country arrived in Bilbao and started playing their football there. History suggests that the club adopted their red and white stripes from that of Sunderland. The legend of Athletic Bilbao began there, initially as Athletic Club Bilbao.
The club is famous for their ‘cantera’ policy. It insinuates that only players born or taught in the Basque region from a young age can represent the club in their senior years. The strategy has been in place since 1912, but the club added a few tweaks to the rules and started adopting players from the nearby French Basque Country in the 1980s, with Aymeric Laporte being the most notable name from that contingent in recent years.
The policy often benefits several parties, including Athletic themselves. Many players go on to represent the Spanish national side or move on to bigger domestic clubs around Europe for immense fees. Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera is the most recent example when he earned his first international call-up for the recently concluded World Cup Qualifiers. He moved to Manchester United in 2014 for a reported €36 million fee.
Athletic have honed several quality talents through the policy, including some of the most influential names in Spanish football. Telmo Zarra, La Liga’s greatest ever goalscorer prior to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, represented the club for 15 years between 1940 and 1955, scoring an amazing 251 league goals. He joins the likes of Agustín Gaínza, Julio Salina and Andoni Zubizarreta in an illustrious list of players to have donned the famous red-and-white shirt.
San Mames is the home of Athletic and has been an intimidating stadium for oppositions. Named after the infamous martyr Mammes, who, as legend suggests, was thrown to lions by Romans, is an extraordinary figure in the region. The ‘old’ San Mames was built in 1913 for a mere £200 is an iconic site in the city and accommodated a little over 40000.
The new stadium, built a hundred years later, is a state-of-the-art modern football ground which reflects the city’s architectural heritage and seats around 53000. It will be used as one of 13 venues for the European Championships in 2020 and is just what their ever-loyal fanbase needed.
Union
The Basque Region has a symbol: a sign that sets them apart from the rest of Spain. The Ikurriña flag is the official flag of the region. Similar to the Union Jack of Britain, the flag consists of a primary red colour with a white cross over on top of a green saltire. It was first designed in 1894 and later popularised after a defiant act in the 1970s.
The Spanish Civil War saw dictator Francisco Franco bring along a dislike towards the Catalan and Basque community as they sought independence from the rest of Spain. He aimed to suppress other languages and went on to prohibit flags of other races after the war, including the Ikurriña.
In December 1976, a little more than a year after the death of the infamous dictator, Real Sociedad met Athletic at the Anoeta to defy the deceased Franco. It wasn’t the final score that lives in the memories of the fans, but the score the players settled before a ball was even kicked.
While walking out to the pitch, the captains of both sides, Inaxio Kortabarria of Sociedad and José Ángel Iribar of Athletic carried out the banned flag together, without the fear of putting their professional careers in danger. It set the crowd into euphoria and the police baffled as the players made history. The final score saw La Real win 5-0 but it was the pre-match scenes that live long in the memory.
“It was an important step which really helped with the legalisation of the Ikurriña,” – José Ángel Iribar, 2011
In January of 1977, the flag was legalised after pressure from multiple Basque mayors, and on the 25th of that month, the flag was raised high and proud for the first time since the war. It was the derby that bought out the result and many players who played that day regard it as their favourite, even if they lost the game.
The Real Sociedad View: Foreigners and Relegation
Real Sociedad are a club greatly etched into the footballing history books. With their name translating to the “Royal Society of Football”, the club have created an image similar to that. They don their blue and white colours from the flag of San Sebastián, an area in the Basque region.
Just like their rivals, Sociedad followed a strict Basque policy which brought a fair bit of success, including two successive La Liga titles in 1981 and 1982 as well as a Copa del Rey triumph in 1987. However, in 1989, the club abandoned the policy and signed John Aldridge, who became the club’s first non-Basque player when he signed from Liverpool.
The academy at the club still produces top quality Spanish talent. Recent years have seen Xabi Alonso, Antoine Greizmann and Asier Illaramendi come up through the ranks and they’ve helped the club grow both on the pitch as well as off it. Sold for massive fees to Liverpool, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid respectively, La Real are seen as one of the best academies in world football in the modern day.
The early 2000s saw Real Sociedad make their biggest recent impact in footballing terms. In 2003, They finished runners-up in La Liga, their best finish since 1988, two points behind champions Real Madrid. Yugoslav international Darko Kovačević and Turkish forward Nihat Kahveci scored 20 and 23 times respectively in the league that season to provide further proof that abandoning their Basque policy was working.
After a Champions League appearance in the 2003-04 season, the club plummeted down the league spiral and were relegated in 2007. Three years out of La Liga were dampening to the club’s image and was a major blow to Spanish football. Their return in 2010 saw a different brand of football and a major revamp to their style. A Champions League qualification spot in 2013 saw them signal the arrival of a new era at the club and they haven’t looked back since, despite a few bumps along the way.
Meeting
“there’s nothing quite like the derby. it’s different” – Gerónimo Rulli, real sociedad
The two sides meet on Sunday evening at San Mames for the 140th time in the league. With both having a mixed start to the season, a win will be a major morale boost for either side. Under the welcoming atmosphere and the fine history this game is played under, the derby is one that shouldn’t be missed if one is looking for some fine, passionate and competitive football.
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