Athletic Club, also commonly known as Athletic Bilbao, is a
professional football club, based in Bilbao, Biscay, Spain.
They are known as Los Leones (The Lions) because their
stadium was built near a church called San Mamés (Saint Mammes). Mammes was an
early Christian thrown to the lions by the Romans. The lions refused to eat
Mammes and he was later made a saint.
The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since
its start in 1929. They have won the league on eight occasions. In the historical
classification of La Liga, Athletic are in fourth place and one of only three
clubs which have never been relegated from the Liga, the others being Real
Madrid and Barcelona. The club also has a women's team, which has won four
championships in the Primera División Femenina.
Cake in a Atletic Txapela shape
The club is known for its cantera policy of bringing young
Basque players through the ranks, as well as recruiting top Basque players from
other clubs (like Joseba Etxeberria or Javi Martínez). Athletic official policy
is signing professional players native to or footballistically trained in the
greater Basque Country, including Biscay, Gipuzkoa, Álava and Navarre (in
Spain); and Labourd, Soule and Lower Navarre (in France). This has gained
Athletic both admirers and critics. The club has been praised for promoting
home grown players and club loyalty.
Athletic is one of only four professional
clubs in Spain in Primera División (the others being Real Madrid, Barcelona and
Osasuna) that is not a sports corporation; the club is owned and operated by
its associates (socios).
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