Are traditionalists Athletic Bilbao with their insistence on home-grown players in danger of relegation? Is it still possible for a club in this day-in-age to operate in this way?

November 19th, 2007 by SM Dev (ste)

Founder members Athletic Bilbao (along with traditional Spanish superpowers Real Madrid and Barcelona) are the only club that has never been relegated from the Primera Division since the league was founded in 1928. This statistic is remarkable considering the Basque club’s policy of never buying a non - Basque player. You also have to remember that they only have a limited population (three million) from which decent players can emerge.

This tie with tradition could come back to haunt the Rojiblancos who over the last few seasons have found themselves flirting with relegation. Founded by Sunderland miners (hence their red and white stripes and their name being the English Athletic rather than the Spanish Atletico), Bilbao narrowly retained their top flight status last term but this season the squad lacks quality and once again they could find themselves flirting with relegation with the possibility of dropping to Segunda for the first time in their illustrious history.

The pro-Basque policy known as cantera is upheld because of their patriotic fans and stems from the time of Franco when the Basque culture and language was suppressed. Strangely Athletic have had foreign managers in the past most notably Howard Kendall in the 1980’s.

The development of cantera as a policy resulted from both a revival in Basque nationalism and the emergence of the Basque Country. Supporting the club became a legitimate way of expressing Basque nationalism, especially during the Franco years after the Spanish Civil War.

The cantera policy (which unofficially started in 1912) is seen by many neutrals as restricting Bilbao’s progress and crippling the clubs ambitions. Their ethical policy of only allowing Basque born players to represent them is admirable, but costing them dear (as the threat of relegation over the past few seasons has loomed).

Atheltic Bilbao do not have a sponsor and this highly commendable effort to stay as a people’s club is looking more and more unrealistic in what is the strongest La Liga in recent memory.

The majority of Athletic Bilbao’s passionate fans at the San Mames stadium would prefer their club to be relegated than end their policy of Cantera. This was evident in an El Mundo in the 1990s, with 76% of Athletic fans stating they would rather see the club relegated than give up the cantera policy.

Unfortunately for the most traditional top level club side in Europe, a real lack of quality will probably see the club do one or the other - buy some none-Basque players or suffer relegation. The hope is that they can survive and continue their traditional values - something that is all too scarce in modern day football.

Are traditionalists Athletic Bilbao with their insistence on home-grown players in danger of relegation? Is it still possible for a club in this day-in-age to operate in this way?

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13 Comments Add your own

1. Gerard | November 19th, 2007 at 11:06 pm

I think it is highly commendable, and in some ways one of the last remaining stands against the encroachment of money over pride in the game of football.

However, the population should not cause too much of a problem. Scotland only has a population of about 5.1million, and of that 4.5million are Scottish. Not a huge amount higher than that quoted in the article for the Basque population, and yet ranked 13th in the world.

They are going through a lean patch, and have to compete with other clubs for the signature of these Basque players, but sometimes a little heart goes a long way. Whether it pays off this season, we will see, but in the long term, it is certainly viable. At least cantera has been given almost one hundred years, instead of 100 days.
2. Martin | November 20th, 2007 at 5:03 am

Arriba Extramadura!!!

yea i have alot of respect for this team because they are still the only team to stay within there region of spain and the world and still not get relegated. they wont get relegated till around 2010 =/.
3. Killian | November 20th, 2007 at 7:49 am

You have to have respect for Athletico Bilbao for sticking with their policy of never buying a non-basque player. I think its quite remarkable how they’ve been able to remain in the top flight. But in our days the pressure is on for teams to buy players abroad. Unless you’ve got a fanatastic youth system, i think the pressure for immediate success is on and teams have got to get the best players available and if that means looking abroad so be it. l think Athletico are not going to survive much longer. They’ll get relegated soon.
4. Tom Mills (Forum) | November 20th, 2007 at 11:23 pm

Athletic Bilbao are doing something that no other team dares to do - but probably for the wrong reasons. The Basque region of Spain is renowned for violence and racism, and therefore if a foreign player were to join Bilbao, they’d more than likely be hounded out by pockets of outspoken fans. It is, however, surprising that they haven’t brought in players from in and around Spain. This is where local pride and tradition probably outweighs the want for success - and fair play to them. What surprises me even more is that the supposed giants of the Basque region aren’t buying players from other smaller Basque-based clubs.
One example that stands out to me is Escudero Raul Garcia, formerly of Osasuna (who are based in the Basque city of Pamplona), who is touted as one of the most exciting talents in Spain, who left Osasuna this summer to join Madrid-based Atletico. Yes, this could be because Atletico’s manager is Osasuna’s former manager Javier Aguirre, but you’d have thought Bilbao would’ve jumped at the chance of buying a player like Garcia - considering the fact that he is Basque.
I think it is unfortunate that Bilbao are not enjoying the success they have done in recent years, but if they’re letting opportunities pass like Raul Garcia then they’ve only got themselves to blame. I can relate to the ‘local pride’ factor, as my team, Middlesbrough, have a similar thing occurring at the moment.
This is mainly because of the excellent youth academy system we have set-up and also the youth scouting system that spreads throughout Teesside from a very young age. I agree that it hasn’t been a complete success, but in recent years it has took us to a UEFA Cup final, a League Cup final win and has kept us in the Premiership for around 10 years without relegation. It may be for the simple fact that we havn’t got the same buying power that other clubs have got, but it does show that bleeding local talent into a side brings a fresh vigour to a team - imagine the enjoyment of playing for the team you grew up supporting! That alone gives you an extra 10%, which is why the likes of Lee Cattermole, Stewart Downing, Andrew Taylor, Adam Johnson, David Wheater and many other players are playing Premier League football for the team they love.

I really hope that Bilbao turn their lacklustre seasons of late around, because it’s always nice to see young talent coming through and doing well at the highest level, even though they were founded by Mackems (Sunderland fans)!
5. Shelbourne FC {Forum} | November 21st, 2007 at 10:05 am

Tom I Dont think Bilbao is that Racist, They Want Independence from Spain that Doesent make them Racist, There fans Welcome Fans of there Club All Around The World,

I Myself Support Them & Hope They Keep Cantera (osasuna, alavas, real socidad all had similar policies thorughout there history eyt in the early 0000’s they spend big on forign talent ( & they all got relegated) So buying Forigners doesnet mean anything, Local pride & What the Club stand for is alot more important.

They paid Big for javi Matinez from osasuna a few years ago like 7 million or something so maybe garica dident want to play for them who knows?

1 thing is for Certain i hope they always keep Cantera because without it its just another sell out!!
6. Jamie Bhoy | November 21st, 2007 at 11:45 am

It’s interesting to see that someone has mentioned Scotland in the discussion. It wasn’t until the late 1980’s when Rangers signed their first Catholic player. This was a prime example of a football club excluding players for totally the wrong reasons.
7. Gerard | November 21st, 2007 at 6:55 pm

The point is factual Jamie in that they did not knowingly sign Catholics, but why bring this up on a thread about Athletic Bilbao? The link to the topic (home-grown players only) is tenuous at best, and can only turn it into some tit-for-tat discussion.

Tom Mills had the right idea when comparing it to the system at Middlesbrough. Try to bring through their own players, and have achieved some marginal success with it. However, they do spend money on foreign and non-Teeside players. Schwarzer, Arca, Rochemback, Yakubu, Viduka, Boateng, Pogatetz, Mendieta, Huth, Lee, Doriva, Tuncay, Mido, Aliadiere, Maccarone…

Most of those players are first choice, without them, ‘Boro would likely slip down a division. From the top of my head I cannot think of a similar club. Hibernian in Scotland produce a lot of youth players too, but they do compliment it with experienced guys from other nations.
8. James The DJ | November 23rd, 2007 at 9:26 pm

I think Athletic Bilbao are marvellous to continue Cantera, despite all the competition in La Liga. I would of that they would cash in on Sociedads relegation and had gone for like Aranburu and Mikel Alonso; but they didn’t. So, in a way it is their problem for not looking in at the state of different Basque clubs……….
9. :) | November 24th, 2007 at 2:33 am

Regarding Athletic Bilbao fans being racist ect that may be true I don’t know but if Ronaldinho and Ronaldo all though never going to happen decided that they wanted to sign for Bilbao I’m guessing their policy would change and the fans would more than welcome them.
10. Israel G | November 25th, 2007 at 9:36 pm

i believe teams can still be successful by having only home grown players. i don’t know about in Europe but in north America teams like Guadalajara from Mexico’s first division have only home grown players and they have and still are one of the most successful clubs in the Americas
11. liam | November 29th, 2007 at 8:19 pm

bilbao can finish i the top 7 at best
12. luke | November 30th, 2007 at 12:57 am

okay who cares really if bilboa is racist all it is about here is the football my opion on bilboa whow they are doing this season not to bad probbley a….b-to be honet they are not a very good team and have very realy been sucseful in europe but i think bilboa will never be best choce to be honest
13. Talent Scout: Lertxundi K&hellip | December 13th, 2007 at 10:00 am

[…] trade in the lower reaches of Spanish football, but then again not every club is unique and has a cantera policy like Athletic […]