# 2014–15 Athletic Bilbao season

The 2014–15 season was the 116th season in Athletic Club’s history and the 84th in the top-tier. The campaign was notable for Athletic competing in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1998–99.

## Squad

As 2014..

### Squad and statistics

The numbers and stats are established according to the official website:
    As of 7 August 2015
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League | Cup | Cup | Europe | Europe | Total | Total | Discipline | Discipline | Discipline |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | | | |
| 1 | GK | | Gorka Iraizoz | 34 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 8 | 0 | 42(1) | 0 | 3 | | |
| 2 | FW | | Gaizka Toquero | 0(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(5) | 0 | | | |
| 3 | DF | | Jon Aurtenetxe | 3(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6(1) | 0 | 1 | | |
| 4 | DF | | Aymeric Laporte | 33 | 0 | 6(1) | 0 | 9 | 0 | 48(1) | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| 5 | MF | | Erik Morán | 1(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 2(2) | 0 | | | |
| 6 | DF | | Mikel San José | 23(5) | 5 | 6 | 1 | 7(2) | 2 | 36(7) | 8 | 13 | 1 | |
| 7 | MF | | Beñat Etxebarria | 20(8) | 2 | 5(2) | 0 | 8(1) | 0 | 33(11) | 2 | 6 | | |
| 8 | MF | | Ander Iturraspe | 20(5) | 2 | 3(3) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 30(8) | 2 | 6 | | |
| 9 | FW | | Kike Sola | 1(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 2(4) | 0 | | | |
| 10 | MF | | Óscar de Marcos | 32(3) | 1 | 7 | 0 | 9(1) | 1 | 48(4) | 2 | 9 | | |
| 11 | FW | | Ibai Gómez | 9(12) | 1 | 4(3) | 0 | 4(2) | 1 | 17(17) | 2 | 2 | | |
| 12 | DF | | Unai Bustinza | 1(1) | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2(2) | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| 13 | GK | | Iago Herrerín | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | | |
| 14 | MF | | Markel Susaeta | 20(11) | 1 | 5(3) | 1 | 6(3) | 1 | 31(17) | 3 | 3 | | |
| 15 | DF | | Andoni Iraola (vc) | 16(6) | 1 | 6(1) | 0 | 3(2) | 1 | 25(9) | 2 | 6 | | |
| 16 | DF | | Xabier Etxeita | 22(2) | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 32(2) | 3 | 7 | | 1 |
| 17 | MF | | Mikel Rico | 32(4) | 3 | 6(2) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 48(6) | 3 | 5 | | |
| 18 | MF | | Carlos Gurpegui (c) | 15(8) | 1 | 5(1) | 0 | 5(3) | 1 | 25(12) | 2 | 9 | | |
| 19 | FW | | Iker Muniain | 25 | 1 | 6(1) | 0 | 7(2) | 1 | 38(3) | 2 | 8 | | |
| 20 | FW | | Aritz Aduriz | 30(1) | 18 | 5(4) | 5 | 6(2) | 3 | 41(7) | 26 | 14 | | |
| 21 | FW | | Borja Viguera | 10(10) | 1 | 2(2) | 2 | 2(2) | 0 | 14(14) | 3 | | | |
| 22 | FW | | Guillermo Fernández | 5(9) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3(1) | 1 | 9(10) | 1 | 2 | | |
| 23 | MF | | Ager Aketxe | 3(5) | 1 | 1(2) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 4(8) | 1 | 1 | | |
| 24 | DF | | Mikel Balenziaga | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 10 | | |
| 29 | MF | | Unai López | 15(4) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0(4) | 0 | 16(8) | 0 | 1 | | |
| 30 | FW | | Iñaki Williams | 15(4) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1(1) | 1 | 20(5) | 2 | 2 | | |

### From the youth system

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 12 | DF | ESP | Unai Bustinza |
| 22 | FW | ESP | Guillermo Fernández |
| 23 | MF | ESP | Ager Aketxe |
| 29 | MF | ESP | Unai López |
| 30 | FW | ESP | Iñaki Williams |

### Transfers in

| No. | Pos. | Name | Age | EU | Moving from | Type | Transfer window | Ends | Transfer fee |
| 21 | MF | Borja Viguera | 37 | EU | Alavés | Transfer | Summer | 2017 | €1,000,000 |
| 3 | DF | Jon Aurtenetxe | 32 | EU | Celta Vigo | Loan return | Summer | 2017 | Loan return |
| – | GK | Raúl Fernández | 36 | EU | Numancia | Loan return | Summer | | Loan return |
| – | MF | Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta | 31 | EU | Mirandés | Loan return | Summer | 2016 | Loan return |
Total spending: €1,000,000

### Transfers out

| N | Pos. | Name | Age | EU | Moving to | Type | Transfer window | Transfer fee |
| 21 | MF | Ander Herrera | 35 | EU | Manchester United | Transfer | Summer | €36,000,000 |
| – | GK | Raúl Fernández | 36 | EU | Racing Santander | Mutual termination | Summer | Free |
| 3 | MF | Iñigo Pérez | 36 | EU | Numancia | Mutual termination | Summer | Free |
| – | MF | Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta | 31 | EU | Zaragoza | On loan | Summer | Loan |
| 12 | DF | Unai Albizua | 35 | EU | Tenerife | On loan | Summer | Loan |
| 22 | DF | Enric Saborit | 32 | EU | Mallorca | On loan | Summer | Loan |
| – | MF | Iker Guarrotxena | 32 | EU | Tenerife | On loan | Summer | Loan |
| 23 | DF | Borja Ekiza | 36 | EU | Eibar | Mutual termination | Summer | Free |
Total revenue: €36,000,000

## Competitions
### La Liga
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 5 | Sevilla | 38 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 71 | 45 | +26 | 76 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 6 | Villarreal | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 60 | Qualification for the Europa League group stage |
| 7 | Athletic Bilbao | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 55 | Qualification for the Europa League third qualifying round |
| 8 | Celta Vigo | 38 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 51 | |
| 9 | Málaga | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 50 | |
* ↑ Sevilla qualified for the Champions League group stage by winning the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. As a result, the fifth-placed spot for the Europa League group stage they earned was vacated without replacement as per UEFA regulations.
* 1 2 Since the winners of the 2014–15 Copa del Rey, Barcelona, qualified for European competition based on league position, the spot awarded to the cup winners (Europa League group stage) was passed to the sixth-placed team, and the spot awarded to the sixth-placed team (Europa League third qualifying round) was passed to the seventh-placed team.

#### Results by round

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |
| Ground | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H |
| Result | L | W | L | L | L | D | L | D | W | W | D | W | W | L | D | L | L | L | L | D | W | L | D | W | W | W | W | W | L | D | L | W | W | D | D | D | W | W |
| Position | 15 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 |

#### Matches
### UEFA Champions League
#### Play-off round
#### Group stage

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | POR | SHK | ATH | BATE |
| 1 | Porto | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 4 | +12 | 14 | Advance to knockout phase | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 6–0 |
| 2 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 9 | Advance to knockout phase | 2–2 | — | 0–1 | 5–0 |
| 3 | Athletic Bilbao | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 7 | Transfer to Europa League | 0–2 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 |
| 4 | BATE Borisov | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 24 | −22 | 3 | | 0–3 | 0–7 | 2–1 | — |