Athletic Club de Bilbao

[Heath Newton]

don't be, they won't. and if they do, satan will skate to work the next day.

old nick's skating boots stay in the cupboard.


re bilbao, they were brilliant in both legs. both matches have been equal parts pleasure and embarrassment.



as a pleasant aside, as a result of watching them last week, i've started using them on fifa and they've got me up 4 divisions in 4 days. arty1:

 

[xaviniesta]

ray

 

[Corb]

Iraiola?

 

[impeh]

ray

wish that went in

 

[Aryagorn]

Ray Hudson

 

[Aryagorn]

Oh btw... regarding that scouting topic. Athletic have now relaxed their rules right? The player need not be a Basque per se, if he just comes through their youth ranks is enough right?

 

[Aryagorn]

how on earth would you do that when the CL final is way after the CdR final?

 

[Corb]

Oh btw... regarding that scouting topic. Athletic have now relaxed their rules right? The player need not be a Basque per se, if he just comes through their youth ranks is enough right?

He must be born in Basque territories I guess.

 

[Sergio]

Oh btw... regarding that scouting topic. Athletic have now relaxed their rules right? The player need not be a Basque per se, if he just comes through their youth ranks is enough right?

No all players must be what they consider Basque - of Basque ancestry or born in the Basque Country. Always been a bit of a joke as they take players from Navarre and Southern France, its a purely politically agitative policy, it was never conceived as the humble emphasis on developing local talent that they now try and portray.It stinks and in my view is self defeating as Barcelona and Sociadad do a far better job to representing their respective regions and promoting youth without the need to be hardline racists.

 

[Aryagorn]

He must be born in Basque territories I guess.

Fernando Amorebieta was born to Basque parents but not in the territory

 

[Corb]

Fernando Amorebieta was born to Basque parents but not in the territory

I said "I guess".

 

[Aryagorn]

No all players must be what they consider Basque - of Basque ancestry or born in the Basque Country. Always been a bit of a joke as they take players from Navarre and Southern France, its a purely politically agitative policy, it was never conceived as the humble emphasis on developing local talent that they now try and portray.It stinks and in my view is self defeating as Barcelona and Sociadad do a far better job to representing their respective regions and promoting youth without the need to be hardline racists.

It's not just racist, but self-destructing too.

But I remember reading an article during CDR final in 2009... That they have relaxed their rules now and if a player has represented their youth academy then he'll be allowed to play for the first team. Some thing along those lines.

In any case, I think it'd be better for them if they relaxed the rule actually. No need to just live like a frog in a well at times when the world is turning into a place without borders. In fact they would be spreading their philosophies & bneliefs if they started to spread their wings, get in players from different places. Not asking them to exactly sell their souls per se, but look at some of the foreign players representing Barcelona... They feel the colors now, they're as much Catalans as are Xavi, Puyi, etc!!

 

[Aryagorn]

I said "I guess".

oh you!!

 

[beautifulgame]

It's not just racist, but self-destructing too.

But I remember reading an article during CDR final in 2009... That they have relaxed their rules now and if a player has represented their youth academy then he'll be allowed to play for the first team. Some thing along those lines.

In any case, I think it'd be better for them if they relaxed the rule actually. No need to just live like a frog in a well at times when the world is turning into a place without borders. In fact they would be spreading their philosophies & bneliefs if they started to spread their wings, get in players from different places. Not asking them to exactly sell their souls per se, but look at some of the foreign players representing Barcelona... They feel the colors now, they're as much Catalans as are Xavi, Puyi, etc!!

stopped at place without borders my friend.

in many places borders are more restricted than ever for the mass public, however, if you mean the for the free flow of capital or the elite classes then you are right.

lets not sit around and pretend we have some type of global or continental community, the public sphere is diminishing more and more. if any border is relaxed it is only to some economic end of a minority group (numerical minority but power wise majority).

The Basque region is has a large working class with the one of the most interesting bottom up political and social histories in Western Europe. I'd imagine the policy is about rooted in protecting local culture from the too much outside influence.

i for one have not been there but if the origins of their policy actually has some questionable origins i.e. race based then i would reconsider.

All in well, Bilbao do well to recruit relatively local players and at least acculturate them if they aren't as local as they may claim at times. These are reasons for such a rich atmosphere at games and other local events.

if anyone is more enlightened, i admit my ignorance here, please shed some more light on the policy, the region and the people.


sorry, if i jumped on you my man, i just cringe when i hear this humanist rhetoric as if social relations are not probably worse off than ever before..

 

[La Furia]

No all players must be what they consider Basque - of Basque ancestry or born in the Basque Country. Always been a bit of a joke as they take players from Navarre and Southern France, its a purely politically agitative policy, it was never conceived as the humble emphasis on developing local talent that they now try and portray.It stinks and in my view is self defeating as Barcelona and Sociadad do a far better job to representing their respective regions and promoting youth without the need to be hardline racists.

This isn't true at all. If you grew up in the Basque Country, or at least were developed by a Basque club, you fit the requirements. The criteria is some connection to Euskadi, what you accuse of being opportunism is the same pragmatism you hail Sociedad for, implemented differently.

Who claims it's about developing local talent? Athletic has always poached prospectes from other clubs. It's about an identity.


This is not the only club to have such a limit either. Chivas de Guadalajara only plays Mexicans for instance.