Athletic Bilbao B

Athletic Bilbao B
Athletic Club "B", commonly known as Bilbao Athletic, is the reserve team of Athletic Club, a football club based in Bilbao, in the autonomous community of Basque Country in Spain. The team are playing in the Segunda Federación – Group 2. Founded in 1964, the team holds home matches at the small stadium attached to the club's training facility at Lezama, holding 3,250 spectators or occasionally at San Mamés Stadium, with its 53,500-seat capacity, for important fixtures.
Reserve teams in Spain play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However, reserves cannot play in the same division as their senior team. Therefore, Bilbao Athletic are ineligible for promotion to La Liga. Reserve teams are also no longer permitted to enter the Copa del Rey. In addition, only under-23 players, or under-25 with a professional contract, can switch between senior and reserve teams. In recent years, most of Bilbao Athletic's players have been graduates from the club's youth setup ('cantera') via the feeder team, Basconia. As a result of Athletic's signing policy, only Basque players feature also for the reserve team.
History
The Bilbao Athletic name was first used in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War, when both La Liga and the Copa del Rey were suspended; most of the top Athletic players had joined the Euzkadi XI, a team put together at the suggestion of José Antonio Aguirre, the president of the Basque Country (and himself a former Athletic Bilbao footballer). Euzkadi went on tour to raise funds for the Basque cause, and also played in the Mexican domestic league. However, at home the Campeonato de Vizcaya had resumed in 1938. With their best players abroad with Euzkadi, Athletic could only field weakened sides and, to avoid possible shameful results damaging the club's reputation, chose to enter under the name Bilbao Athletic (the name was derived from the two clubs that merged in 1903 to become Athletic Bilbao – Bilbao Football Club and Athletic Club). Despite the low expectations, they still won the championship and entered the 1939 Copa del Generalísimo.
The name was revived in 1964, when Athletic Bilbao decided to establish a reserve team with Agustín Gaínza as coach. The new Bilbao Athletic initially played in local regional leagues before winning promotion to Tercera División in 1966, under Rafa Iriondo; in 1969 they first reached Segunda División.
In 1983–84, with José Ángel Iribar as coach, and an emerging Julio Salinas as striker, the reserves finished in second place, only trailing Castilla CF; both teams were ineligible for promotion, and Salinas won the Pichichi.
Bilbao Athletic dropped back down to the third level in 1996, but the main squad continued to be nurtured with several players who had spells with the reserves.
After 19 seasons in the Segunda División B, Bilbao Athletic returned to the second tier after defeating Cádiz CF, 3–1 on aggregate, in the promotion playoffs. However, in their campaign in the Segunda they were reliant on the same group, a core squad of 20-year-olds who had never played at such a high level before, and despite battling performances in most of their games, a pattern of narrow defeats led to the team finishing bottom and being relegated back down at the first attempt. Somewhat ironically, the promoted teams that season were CD Leganés whose squad included three players on loan from Athletic who would have been eligible to play for Bilbao Athletic that season, as well as the parent club's local rivals Alavés and Osasuna.
The team came close to another promotion in 2020–21, losing to Burgos after extra time in the final round of the promotion play-offs (they had lost in the opening round in 2018 and 2020).
Premier League International Cup
Athletic have competed in the Premier League International Cup (an Under-23 tournament, all matches played in England), with most of the players selected for their squad drawn from Bilbao Athletic plus some younger additions from Basconia and the Juvenil squads (the rules permit the use of a limited number of overage players, but Athletic do not use them). In 2014–15, 2015–16 and 2016–17 the club qualified from their group but were eliminated in the quarter-finals, while in the 2017–18, 2018–19 and 2019–20 editions, they bowed out at the group stage.
Background
As farm team:
Club Atlético de Bilbao Amateur (1964–66)
Bilbao Atlético Club (1966–72)
Bilbao Athletic Club (1972–91)
As reserve team:
Athletic Club B (1991–2006)
Bilbao Athletic (2006–)
Season to season
As a farm team
As a reserve team
14 seasons in Segunda División
2 seasons in Primera Federación/Primera División RFEF
31 seasons in Segunda División B
1 season in Segunda Federación
10 seasons in Tercera División
2 seasons in Categorías Regionales
Players
Current squad
.
Reserve team
Out on loan
Honours
Segunda División B: 1982–83, 1988–89
Tercera División: 1966–67, 1968–69
Biscay Championship: 1938–39
Notes
Stadium
For big matches, they use San Mamés, the first team stadium.
Selected coaches
Javier Clemente
Agustín Gaínza
José Ángel Iribar
Rafa Iriondo
Ignacio Izagirre (284 matches)
Iñaki Sáez (290 matches, record)
José Ángel Ziganda (242 matches)
Notable players
Note: This list includes players that have appeared in at least 100 top league games and/or have reached international status.
Justo Ruiz
Jonás Ramalho
Iñaki Williams
Aritz Aduriz
Borja Agirretxu
Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora
Edu Alonso
Joseba Aguirre
José Ramón Alexanko
Rafael Alkorta
Yeray Álvarez
Genar Andrinúa
Anaitz Arbilla
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Daniel Astrain
Dani Aranzubia
Estanislao Argote
Andoni Ayarza
Enrique Ayúcar
Mikel Balenziaga
Ibon Begoña
Javier Bellido
Mario Bermejo
Rubén Bilbao
Jon Pérez Bolo
Unai Bustinza
Andoni Cedrún
Sergio Corino
Miguel de Andrés
Óscar de Marcos
Asier del Horno
Juan Antonio Deusto
Juan José Elgezabal
Xabier Eskurza
Imanol Etxeberria
Beñat Etxebarria
Xabier Etxeita
Patxi Ferreira
Luis Fernando
Luis de la Fuente
José Manuel Galdames
José Ramón Gallego
Carlos García
Ander Garitano
Andoni Goikoetxea
Ibai Gómez
Pizo Gómez
Fernando Javier Gómez
Javi González
Javi Gracia
Endika Guarrotxena
Julen Guerrero
Felipe Guréndez
Carlos Gurpegui
Gorka Iraizoz
Andoni Iraola
Ander Iturraspe
Aitor Karanka
Iñaki Lafuente
Andoni Lakabeg
Aymeric Laporte
Aitor Larrazábal
Iñigo Lekue
Ángel Lekumberri
Iñigo Liceranzu
Iñigo Lizarralde
Fernando Llorente
Unai López
Alberto Martín
Ricardo Mendiguren
Jesús Merino
Iker Muniain
Ander Murillo
Andoni Murúa
Miguel Navarro
Txema Noriega
Unai Núñez
José María Núñez
José Ignacio Oñaederra
Luis Prieto
Carlos Purroy
Álex Remiro
José Ángel Rojo
Txetxu Rojo
Dani Ruiz-Bazán
Carlos Ruiz
Julio Salinas
Patxi Salinas
Manuel Sarabia
Félix Sarriugarte
Miguel Sola
Markel Susaeta
Unai Simón
Óscar Tabuenka
Santiago Urquiaga
Josu Urrutia
Ismael Urtubi
Juanjo Valencia
Óscar Vales
Mikel Vesga
Juan Carlos Vidal
Nico Williams
Francisco Yeste
Félix Zubiaga
Andoni Zubizarreta
Luís María Zugazaga
Fernando Amorebieta
See also
CD Basconia (Athletic Bilbao's feeder club)
References
External links
Team history at Athletic Bilbao's official website
Futbolme team profile
La Cantera De Lezama – Unofficial website focusing on Athletic’s youth teams
Athletic Bilbao
Football clubs in the Basque Country (autonomous community)
Spanish reserve football teams
Association football clubs established in 1964
1964 establishments in Spain
Premier League International Cup
Segunda División clubs
Primera Federación clubs