Tag: Athletic Club

LaLiga Santander Matchday 37 preview: Drama guaranteed as Getafe CF (16th), Cádiz CF (17th) and Real Valladolid (18th) enter the penultimate round tied on 38 points

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In Matchday 37, there will also be a strong anti-racism initiative at all of these stadiums. Following the disturbing scenes at Mestalla last weekend, hundreds of thousands of anti-racism flyers will be handed out to fans across all LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank fixtures this weekend, reiterating LaLiga’s zero-tolerance position on the issue and outlining all the ways in which they can report any racist behaviour they may see both inside and outside stadiums.

The very first match of Matchday 37 is Sevilla FC vs Real Madrid on Saturday at 7pm CEST and these two teams played out a thrilling duel earlier in the season, which Real Madrid ultimately won 3-1, but Sevilla FC will look to take the victory this time in order to head off to the Europa League final with extra confidence.

On Sunday, drama is guaranteed during the unified kick-off time, especially in the ever so tight LaLiga Santander relegation battle. Heading into this penultimate round, there are seven teams who still aren’t mathematically safe and they are: Valencia CF on 40 points, RC Celta on 40 points, UD Almería on 39 points, Getafe CF on 38 points, Cádiz CF on 38 points, Real Valladolid on 38 points and RCD Espanyol on 35 points. Incredibly, six of these sides face off amongst each other.

Although 19th-placed RCD Espanyol are a little further adrift, Los Pericos believe a great escape is still possible given that they produced a miracle comeback on Wednesday night. They trailed in-form Atlético de Madrid 3-0, but fought back to draw 3-3 and take a point. Now, they visit Valencia CF on Sunday, which is a huge direct duel for two of the teams involved in this relegation scrap.

Currently, Real Valladolid are in the final relegation spot of 18th, but Paulo Pezzolano’s squad are also full of confidence after defeating champions FC Barcelona 3-1 in midweek. They too take part in a relegation six-pointer on Sunday, as they’ll visit UD Almería, who the Pucela could leapfrog in the standings with a win.

It’s Cádiz CF who are 17th, the final safe spot, but they’re level on points with Real Valladolid and can’t afford any slip-ups. Los Amarillos will be hosting RC Celta and they can also leapfrog their Matchday 37 opponents if they achieve victory, so both these sides will be giving their all.

Getafe CF are the only club in the relegation battle who won’t face a fellow contender for the drop. They’ll instead host Europe-chasing CA Osasuna at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez and José Bordalás’ side will hope home advantage can lead them to another much-needed victory.

As well as the relegation battle, there is also the race for European football to consider and two key games will be taking place in Madrid at the same time. Villarreal CF will travel to Vallecas to face Rayo Vallecano aware that they still have a chance of Champions League qualification. El Submarino Amarillo trail Real Sociedad by five points, but La Real have a tough assignment of their own in the capital as they visit Atlético de Madrid.

A little further down the table, there is a thrilling contest to catch the seventh and final European spot, currently occupied by CA Osasuna. Athletic Club believe they can return to UEFA competition this season and they’ll aim to take a big step towards this objective when they welcome already-relegated Elche CF to Bilbao. Meanwhile, Girona FC, who have never been in Europe before, will take on Real Betis hoping to keep their chances alive.

Another game that will be special, but for a very different reason, is FC Barcelona vs RCD Mallorca. This will be the final game at the Spotify Camp Nou for the departing Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba and they’ll hope to enjoy one more victory in front of the Barça faithful. That will be an emotional moment, taking place at the same time as the spectacle of the European race and relegation battle unfolds.

How the race for Europe stands in LaLiga Santander: CA Osasuna leapfrog Athletic Club into the final European spot

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There are now just two matchdays remaining in LaLiga Santander and there is still so much to play for. Several clubs are currently taking part in the race to qualify for the 2023/24 UEFA competitions and the battle is ever so tight.

With FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid set in stone to qualify for the Champions League, here’s a round-up of the other teams fighting it to secure a European berth, from fourth-placed Real Sociedad down to 12th-placed Rayo Vallecano.

Real Sociedad (4th, 68 points)

After the top three of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, the team currently occupying the final Champions League spot is Real Sociedad. Under the coaching of Imanol Alguacil, La Real have come close to reaching the Champions League on a few occasions over the past few years. Returning to Europe’s top competition, which the Basque side last participated in in 2013/14, has become an objective for the club and they currently hold a comfortable advantage over Villarreal CF, thanks to the recent good performances of the likes of David Silva, Takefusa Kubo, Mikel Merino, Alexander Sørloth and others.

Remaining fixtures: Atlético de Madrid (A), Sevilla FC (H)

Villarreal CF (5th, 63 points) 

At Villarreal CF, nobody is giving up hope of making a return to the Champions League. Even though there is a five-point gap, Villarreal CF are in excellent form, with five wins from their past six matches and with Nicolas Jackson scoring eight goals across that run. They still believe that they could make a return to the Champions League, a competition they reached the semi-finals of in 2021/22. Even if Quique Setién’s men don’t end up catching La Real for fourth, fifth place brings direct passage to the Europa League group stages and that too is a success for this club from a city of 50,000 people.

Remaining fixtures: Rayo Vallecano (A), Atlético de Madrid (H)

Real Betis (6th, 56 points) 

Real Betis have never before qualified for European football in three consecutive seasons, but they have done so this year. Los Verdiblancos currently hold a Europa League group stage ticket as they sit in sixth place. Thanks to their recent wins over Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano and their draw in El Gran Derbi, Manuel Pellegrini’s men have opened up a sizable gap. That’s very impressive considering the team lost star midfielder Nabil Fekir to a season-ending injury in February.

Remaining fixtures: Girona FC (A), Valencia CF (H)

CA Osasuna (7th, 50 points) 

CA Osasuna have moved into seventh place, which brings a ticket to the Conference League. They did so by defeating direct rivals Athletic Club 2-0 in Matchday 36, and they have another direct duel coming up as they will host Girona FC on the final matchday.

Remaining fixtures: Getafe CF (A), Girona FC (H)

Athletic Club (8th, 50 points) 

Athletic Club are no strangers to European football, however the Basques haven’t had to look out their passports since 2018. With Ernesto Valverde back at the helm this season, Los Leones want to qualify for Europe again, but their loss to CA Osasuna means they are currently just outside the top seven.

Remaining fixtures: Elche CF (H), Real Madrid (A)

Girona FC (9th, 49 points) 

Girona FC have fallen out of the top seven, but they still have a chance of making history. The Catalan club have never before qualified for Europe, but they’re only one point behind the final European ticket. After winning promotion through the LaLiga SmartBank playoffs last season, Míchel’s side have been playing some thrilling football this term, and they’re currently the fourth-top scorers in the division with 56 goals scored from 36 matches.

Remaining fixtures: Real Betis (H), CA Osasuna (A)

Sevilla FC (10th, 49 points) 

Just a few weeks ago, Sevilla FC were more concerned about the threat of relegation than about the possibility of finishing in the European positions. But, their results have improved significantly under new coach José Luis Mendilibar and Los Rojiblancos could finish inside the top seven.

Remaining fixtures: Real Madrid (H), Real Sociedad (A)

RCD Mallorca (11th, 47 points)

RCD Mallorca have joined the European race too, thanks to their 1-0 victory over Valencia CF in Matchday 36, with Vedat Muriqi scoring yet another goal. Although Javier Aguirre’s side must visit the Spotify Camp Nou next, the islanders are optimistic.

Remaining fixtures: FC Barcelona (A), Rayo Vallecano (H)

Rayo Vallecano (12th, 46 points)

Another team that still has a slight chance of European qualification is Rayo Vallecano. The team from the capital city have been in Europe once before, in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, and they’re aiming for a return this year. Even though the capital city side are now four points behind, coach Andoni Iraola has insisted that his team will fight to the end.

Remaining fixtures: Villarreal CF (H), RCD Mallorca (A)

LaLiga Santander Matchday 36 preview

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The antepenultimate round of the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander season is a midweek one, and there is something at stake in every single one of the 10 Matchday 36 fixtures. Whether it’s the battle to avoid relegation or the race to qualify for Europe, every game taking place across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday is a hugely significant one for at least one of the teams involved, and in most cases for both.

The midweek round commences on Tuesday when two fixtures take place simultaneously at 19:30 CEST: RC Celta vs Girona FC and Real Sociedad vs UD Almería. These are both duels between one team dreaming of European football and one team worried about the threat of relegation. RC Celta and UD Almería are the relegation-threatened sides as they’re currently on 39 points each, only four more than 18th-placed Real Valladolid. With Girona FC dreaming of a first ever European qualification and with Real Sociedad close to securing a top four finish, there really is a lot at stake across these two games.

Later on Tuesday night, champions FC Barcelona will look to bounce back from their Saturday night home loss to Real Sociedad. Although Barça have already lifted the LaLiga Santander trophy, Xavi Hernández wants his team to finish the season strong and they’ll visit a Real Valladolid side who are currently inside the bottom three and staring into the abyss. The Pucela have lost five in a row, but anything can happen in LaLiga Santander.

There are five total fixtures on Wednesday and three of them take place at the same time at 19:30 CEST, with Villarreal CF vs Cádiz CF, Elche CF vs Sevilla FC and Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano. Considering each one of these three fixtures features a team chasing European qualification, the standings could shift around a lot over the space of those two hours. Cádiz CF will also be giving their all when they visit Villarreal CF for a battle of Los Amarillos, but for a very different reason given that the Andalusian side are desperate to pull even further away from the relegation zone.

There are two more games later on Wednesday night, one of which is Real Betis vs Getafe CF. Although new Geta coach José Bordalás has some bad memories of facing Los Verdiblancos, having lost last season’s Copa del Rey final to Manuel Pellegrini when at Valencia CF, it should be kept in mind that his record against Real Betis from his previous stint as Getafe CF boss was very impressive. Bordalás won four, drew two and lost two of the Real Betis vs Getafe CF duels he was involved in, and knows another point or three would be most welcome right now.

The other later kick-off on Wednesday night is RCD Espanyol vs Atlético de Madrid. With the home side currently in 19th place, they need victories and will have to give their all against Diego Simeone’s charges. A Sergi Darder goal earned Los Pericos a 1-1 draw against Atleti in Spain’s capital earlier in the season, so there is reason for optimism for supporters of the Catalan club.

On Thursday, all eyes will be on RCD Mallorca vs Valencia CF when it kicks off. Los Che saw how their former player Kang-in Lee scored a late winner at Mestalla when RCD Mallorca won the previous meeting between these sides 2-1, so they’ll hope for a better result when they make the short trip across the Mediterranean Sea to face Los Bermellones. Even though RCD Mallorca are already mathematically safe, Valencia CF are not and will play with purpose from the first minute to the last.

The final fixture of Matchday 36 is especially intriguing, as CA Osasuna will host Athletic Club for a head-to-head duel with a Conference League ticket on the line. The team from Pamplona know that a victory would move them ahead of the Basques in the LaLiga Santander standings, while Athletic Club will want revenge for their Copa del Rey semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Los Rojillos. It’s always competitive and intense when these two clubs meet, and it should be as thrilling as ever given that European qualification is on the line.

10 things we learned this week in LaLiga Santander

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Not only were there several important results in Matchday 35 of LaLiga Santander, but this past week also saw Sevilla FC reach another Europa League final. Off the pitch, there were also contract renewals and the retirement announcement of one of Spanish football’s top 21st century strikers. All of that and more is outlined here.

Sevilla FC reach another Europa League final

Having lifted the Europa League trophy six times already, Sevilla FC have a beautiful love story with this continental competition and the Spanish side are back into another final. After drawing 2-2 with Juventus over 180 minutes of their semi-final, a header from Erik Lamela in extra time proved to be the winner on Thursday night at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. José Luis Mendilibar’s side will now face Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31st.

The spoils are shared in El Gran Derbi

Just three days after the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán hosted that special European semi-final, the Sevilla FC fans packed the stadium once again for El Gran Derbi. This is always a special event in the city of Seville and a fascinating duel was played out between Sevilla FC and Real Betis, one which ultimately ended 0-0 to give each side a valuable point.

FC Barcelona have their trophy

After clinching the 2022/23 LaLiga Santander title away from home in Matchday 34, FC Barcelona then received the trophy following their Matchday 35 fixture at home to Real Sociedad. Even though La Real earned an impressive 2-1 win, it was a night for the fans at the Spotify Camp Nou to celebrate Xavi’s squad of champions. The Blaugrana fans also lined the streets of the Catalan capital for an open-top bus parade to celebrate the league titles of both the men’s and women’s teams.

Valencia CF’s youngsters are firing the team towards safety 

Valencia CF now have a five-point cushion to the relegation zone, and this is largely down to the youngsters that coach Rubén Baraja has promoted from the academy. After 21-year-old Alberto Marí scored the winner away at RC Celta in Matchday 34, fellow 21-year-old Diego López then scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in Matchday 35.

Javi Guerra earns a new contract at Valencia CF

Another of the youngsters who has been making an impact for Valencia CF is 20-year-old Javi Guerra, who scored a winning goal against Real Valladolid in April. The young midfielder has been rewarded for his performances with a new contract, one which runs until 2027.

Juanpe is staying on with Girona

Another player who penned a contract renewal this past week is Juanpe, the centre-back who has been at Girona FC since 2016. He is one of the captains at the club and was delighted to sign a new deal to continue his career at the Estadi Montilivi, renewing this past week until 2024.

The European and relegation battles will go down to the wire

There are just three LaLiga Santander matchdays remaining and the race to finish in the European positions is so tight, along with the relegation battle. Athletic Club currently hold seventh place, the final UEFA ticket, but Girona FC and Sevilla FC are just two points behind while CA Osasuna are only three points off the Basques. At the other end, RCD Espanyol, on 34 points, and Real Valladolid, on 35 points, are inside the relegation zone, but Getafe CF in 17th place are also on 35 points. It’s so tight.

Fernando Llorente announces his retirement

Former Athletic Club, Sevilla FC and SD Eibar striker Fernando Llorente announced his retirement this past week, as he is hanging up his boots at the age of 38. The 2010 World Cup winner was a dominant presence in the penalty area over his 285 LaLiga Santander appearances, scoring 88 goals.

The ‘Team Of The Season’ selections are revealed

The 15 selections who have made up the LaLiga and EA SPORTSTM ‘Team Of The Season’ were announced this past week, and they are: Marc-André ter Stegen; Alejandro Balde, Éder Militão, Jules Koundé, Nahuel Molina, David García; Luka Modrić, Pedri, Fede Valverde, Mikel Merino, Gabri Veiga; Antoine Griezmann, Robert Lewandowski, Vini Jr and Karim Benzema.

Four teams have a shot of automatic promotion on LaLiga SmartBank’s last matchday

There is just one matchday remaining in LaLiga SmartBank, Spanish football’s second division, and Granada CF, UD Las Palmas, Deportivo Alavés and Levante UD all enter the final day aware that they have a chance of securing automatic promotion but also knowing that they could still finish outside the top two. Making next weekend’s Matchday 42 especially fascinating is the fact that UD Las Palmas and Deportivo Alavés face off against each other.

October 23 – Free betting tips with Betnumbers

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23/10
04:15 Independiente Medellín — Jaguares de Córdoba 1   UNDER 1.73
13:15 Excelsior – AZ Alkmaar 2   GOAL 1.51
14:00 Angers — Stade Rennais 2   OVER 1.67
14:30 Hamburger SV — 1. FC Magdeburg 1   2-3GOAL 2.15
15:15 FC Basel 1893— Winterthur 1   OVER 1.62
15:30 SC Cambuur — FC Twente 2   OVER 1.67
15:30 FC Groningen — PSV Eindhoven 2   OVER 1.50
15:30 Wolfsberger AC — SC Rheindorf Altach 1   OVER 1.62
16:00 Southampton — Arsenal 2  2-3GOAL 2.05
16:45 Botev Vratsa — CSKA Sofia 2   OVER 1.90
17:00 KAA Gent — RFC Seraing 1   OVER 1.60
17:15 Real Betis Balompié — Atlético Madrid X2  UNDER 1.67
18:00 Bodo/Glimt – Kristiansund BK 1    OVER 3.5 1.62
18:00 Haugesund — Lillestrøm SK X2  OVER 1.75
18:30 KS Cracovia — Lech Poznań X2  UNDER 1.75
19:00 Maccabi Bney Reine — Bnei Sakhnin X2  UNDER 1.75
19:00 Aris Limassol — Enosis Neon Paralimniou 1   OVER 1.75
19:15 Ludogorets Razgrad — Botev Plovdiv 1   OVER 1.67
19:30 Villarreal — UD Almería 1   OVER 1.62
19:30 PAOK — Asteras Tripolis 1  UNDER 1.70
21:15 Alianza Atlético de Sullana — Sporting Cristal X2  GOAL 1.83
22:00 KV Oostende — SV Zulte Waregem 1X  OVER 1.70
22:00 Barcelona – Athletic Club 1   OVER 1.62
22:00 Fénix — Liverpool URU X2  UNDER 1.67
23:00 Boca Juniors – Independiente 1    2-3 GOAL 1.97
23:00 Guaraní — Cerro Porteño X2  UNDER 1.70
23:30 Independiente del Valle — 9 de Octubre 1   2-3GOAL 2.05

Jon Uriarte becomes Athletic Club’s new president as Ernesto Valverde returns 

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A new era is beginning at Athletic Club, with Jon Uriarte winning the club’s presidential election on Friday, although it will also start with a familiar face at the core of the next project.

Uriarte, who succeeds Aitor Elizegi, is bringing back manager Ernesto Valverde for his third spell in charge of Los Leones.

New Athletic Club Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde

Valverde coached Athletic Club between 2003 and 2005 and between 2013 and 2017, helping them win the Spanish Super Cup in 2015, as well as qualifying for the Champions League.

The experienced coach’s last post was at FC Barcelona, where he won LaLiga Santander twice in his first two seasons, as well as the Copa del Rey in 2018 and the Spanish Super Cup in 2018.

Another presidential candidate, Iñaki Arechabaleta, had pledged to bring Marcelo Bielsa back as coach if he won the election, but the fans voted for Uriarte and the trusted Valverde.

Athletic Club, a member-run club and one of three sides never to have been relegated from LaLiga Santander, famously have a policy of only using players who are from the Basque Country, have roots there or who have been formed in the region.

That makes them unique in world football and a team with their own particular idiosyncrasies to work with as president or as coach.

Uriarte’s ‘Izan Athletic’ campaign won Friday’s elections with 46.71% of the vote, with 10,979 club members selecting him, in comparison to Arechabaleta’s 33.72% or third-place Ricardo Barkala’s 18.13%.

As well as Uriarte’s plan to bring back Valverde, he was the candidate who presented himself as the face of steady but calm change. At 44 years old, he was the youngest of the candidates.

“I need to sleep a little, and then look and learn to understand the club’s position,” said Uriarte after his victory. “This won’t be a revolution like a bull in a china shop, but about coming in, knowing the club and mounting a four-year action plan.”

Athletic Club have not finished higher than eighth place since Valverde was last at the club, whereas during his second spell the lowest they finished was seventh.

The 58-year-old will take over after last season’s coach Marcelino García Toral decided to step aside in May ahead of the club elections.

Uriarte, an entrepreneur, has experience working in finance in London, as well as in the hotel sector and in real estate, and he was the co-founder of ticket resale platform Ticketbis, which was sold to eBay for a reported $165 million in 2016.

His campaign saw heavy use of social media, showing his nous in that area, as he connected with the club’s younger members.

He will be supported by vice-presidents Nerea Ortiz and Jon Ruigómez, and his first task will be to hire a director of football and make official Valverde’s return.

The new president was tight-lipped on potential transfer targets for the club ahead of the vote on Friday at the club’s San Mamés stadium.

“For us it would be easy to go to the market and bring someone in to make a statement, and maybe like that you can win more votes,” said Uriarte last week. “But we would be throwing money in the bin, overpaying. We want to do things well, for the good of the club.”

The transfer mill has thrown up links to Jon Moncayola, Ander Herrera, Álvaro Odriozola and Hugo Guillamón, all of whom have Basque heritage or history and would be eligible to play for the club.

However, there are plenty of strong assets at the club already, including forward Iñaki Williams, hitting his prime years, while playmaker and Athletic Club legend Iker Muniain was in sublime form last season.

The club will continue to lean on their legendary Lezama academy, after giving 55.8% of minutes last season to homegrown youth products, more than any other club across Europe’s top five leagues.

One of those players was goalkeeper Unai Simón, who has established himself as Spain’s clear No.1 ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Other key issues include renewing the contract of key centre-back Iñigo Martínez, whose deal expires in June 2023, and right-back Ander Capa, who is otherwise a free agent at the end of this month.

There is plenty of work to do for Uriarte in the coming days and a lot of excitement building ahead of pre-season and the club’s 2022/23 LaLiga Santander campaign.

Athletic Club win Uefa Grassroots Award for Best Professional Club

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The Bilbao side’s Lezama academy is one of Spain’s greatest and they have been recognised by the European football governing body with a prestigious award.

Athletic Club were honoured with the Uefa Grassroots Award for Best Professional Club on Monday, thanks to the work that their hallowed youth academy of Lezama does with young players on and off the pitch.

The club from Bilbao, one of only three sides never to have been relegated from LaLiga Santander, is famed for its philosophy of only using players from the Basque Country or with links to the region. This remains possible thanks to the success of Lezama, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in January 2021.

When presenting the Basque club with the 2021/22 award, UEFA recognised the care Athletic Club takes to protect children who enter its academy and those of more than 150 partner clubs in the region.

As UEFA outlined in a statement: “Through its academy and community work, Athletic Club has developed a comprehensive child protection and safeguarding policy, enabling the protection of all young people in the club’s care. Athletic Club’s ‘Aterpe’ (the Basque word for ‘shelter’) programme, which enables a safe environment for players, ballboys and girls and player escorts, includes preventive elements, staff training and action protocols, with special attention to caring for children in vulnerable social situations.”

Athletic Club are fitting winners, given the dedication they have to using local talent and only sporadically using the transfer market, preferring to invest intelligently.

President Aitor Elizegi was delighted that Los Leones received the award, stating: “This programme is fundamental to Athletic Club, it’s our foundation. It’s everything that Athletic Club is about – a trust in youth, a trust in society. It’s a necessity and value. We try to turn our words into reality. It’s not always easy, but Athletic Club is committed to this and we thank UEFA for taking notice of this effort.”

Lezama: The beating heart of Athletic Club

Instead of creating headlines with marquee signings, Athletic Club prefer to invest in their Lezama academy, which opened in 1971. The facilities there also host B team Bilbao Athletic, as well as LaLiga SmartBank side SD Amorebieta.

In the 2020/21 campaign, Athletic Club gave 50.9 percent of available minutes in LaLiga Santander to players who had come through Lezama. The current squad is filled with Lezama graduates, including the Williams brothers Iñaki and Nico, Iker Munain and Unai Simón, and the academy shows no signs of slowing down. Players who come through Lezama often have strong connections to the club and many stay there for the majority of their careers.

Other clubs often covet players produced there too. For example, Chelsea made Kepa Arrizabalaga the world’s most expensive goalkeeper in 2018, while Manchester City signed Aymeric Laporte for a significant fee in the same year.

Athletic Club keep an eye on talent across the province of Biscay in particular, making partnerships with 155 local clubs and regularly scouting their games and staying in close contact.

They also look to give academy players the best professional experience possible from the start, not only reserving top facilities and assistance from physiotherapists, psychologists and nutritionists for the first team, a holistic approach which contributed to their UEFA Grassroots Awards triumph.

ATHLETIC CLUB DE BILBAO-ELCHE
PARTIDO

“We have to keep in mind that we are not one team, but we’re a club and the first team is a part of the club,” explained the club’s director of training methodology, Andoni Bombín. “The academy is, therefore, just as important as the first team. There is no resource that is only available for the first team and not for those in the academy. That would be absurd. We try to ensure that everything that is important for the club is present for both.”

Having made the effort to ensure the youngsters of their academy have everything they need, Athletic Club have now been rewarded with this prestigious UEFA Grassroots Award.

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