Athletic Bilbao: The History, Players, Traditions, Records and Stories of Club

What kind of football club can spend more than a century refusing to follow the path taken by nearly everyone else and still remain one of Spain's great names?Athletic Bilbao has an answer written into every generation that has worn its red and white shirt. Founded in Bilbao, Athletic grew from the football culture of the Basque Country into a club with a story unlike any other in Spain. Its commitment to Basque football has given the club an identity that reaches far beyond the pitch. At Athletic, Lezama is more than a training ground. San Mamés is more than a stadium. La Catedral has become a place where generations have watched their team fight for trophies, survive difficult nights and create stories worth passing on. Then there is the Copa del Rey. Athletic Bilbao has lifted the trophy more times than any Spanish club apart from Barcelona, with finals that brought triumph, heartbreak, drama and celebrations on the Nervión River aboard La Gabarra. The club has also produced European nights that remain part of its rich football history, from the snowy San Mamés meeting with Manchester United in 1957 to the remarkable victory at Old Trafford in 2012. There are rivalries with Real Sociedad and other Spanish clubs, great captains, unusual traditions, famous goals, remarkable records and stories hidden behind the names printed on the team sheet. This book brings those stories together through facts and quizzes covering Athletic Bilbao's beginnings, identity, greatest players, San Mamés, Lezama, trophies, historic matches, rivalries and traditions. Some questions will test what you already know. Others may uncover a part of Athletic's story you have never encountered. >Now it is time to discover just how much you know about Athletic Bilbao.