Athletic Bilbao 

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Latest news on Athletic Bilbao, providing comprehensive coverage of Athletic Club's La Liga form, transfers, San Mamés, Champions League and Basque football.

Athletic Club, known internationally as Athletic Bilbao, was founded in 1898 in the heart of the Basque Country's largest city, Bilbao. The club is one of only three sides never to have been relegated from Spain's top division, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona. Nicknamed Los Leones, Athletic plays its home matches at the modern San Mamés stadium, built on the site of its much loved predecessor. What sets the club apart most is its long-standing recruitment policy, fielding only players born in or developed within the Basque Country.

Ernesto Valverde left his post as head coach at the end of the 2025-26 season, ending his third spell in charge, with Edin Terzic, previously of Borussia Dortmund, appointed to lead the team from 2026-27. The change follows a period of renewed pride at San Mamés, after Athletic ended a 40-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Copa del Rey in 2024. A fourth-place league finish the following season then brought Champions League football back to Bilbao for the first time since 2014-15. The club's recruitment approach still divides opinion, with critics arguing its Basque-only policy limits squad depth, while supporters see it as central to Athletic's enduring identity.

Athletic's identity is closely tied to Basque language and customs, with the club owned and run by its own members rather than outside investors. The contrasting international careers of brothers Nico and Iñaki Williams, who represent Spain and Ghana respectively, have become a popular human interest story among supporters. San Mamés, nicknamed La Catedral for its near-religious atmosphere, regularly ranks among the most passionate grounds in European football. The club's women's side, Athletic Club Femenino, also follows the Basque-only philosophy and has won five Liga F titles while training at the Lezama academy.

Football arrived in Bilbao in the late nineteenth century through British dock workers and Basque students returning from studies in England, leading to Athletic's foundation in 1898. Early success followed under British coaches such as Fred Pentland, with the club lifting league and cup doubles either side of the Spanish Civil War. A glittering 1983-84 campaign, which brought both the league and cup, marked the start of a long trophy drought that lasted until the 2024 Copa del Rey win. The club's most celebrated early goal scorer, Rafael "Pichichi" Moreno, remains honoured today through La Liga's Trofeo Pichichi, awarded annually to the division's top marksman.

Athletic's fiercest rivalry is the Basque derby against neighbours Real Sociedad, alongside long-standing meetings with Real Madrid and Barcelona that carry their own sporting and political weight. In Europe, the club has reached two continental finals without ever lifting a trophy, losing the 1977 UEFA Cup final and the 2012 Europa League final to fellow Spanish side Atlético Madrid. Athletic also reached the semi-finals of the 2024-25 Europa League, narrowly missing out on a final staged at their own San Mamés. These near misses, alongside the club's unique recruitment model, continue to fuel debate over whether Athletic can compete consistently for major honours.

From transfer speculation and managerial changes to European nights at San Mamés, Athletic Bilbao remains one of football's most distinctive stories. Our NewsNow feed brings together the latest headlines on Athletic Club, covering results, transfers, the Basque derby and life at La Catedral. Whether you follow Los Leones closely or are simply curious about their unique approach to the game, this feed keeps you informed on everything happening at Athletic Bilbao.