page_title: Athletic–Barcelona clásico
section_title: Players
hierarchical_section_title: Athletic–Barcelona clásico / Personnel at both clubs / Players
caption_attribution_description: English: Ernesto Valverde
context_page_description: The Athletic–Barcelona clásico refers to football matches between Athletic Bilbao and FC Barcelona, two clubs competing in Spanish football competitions.
  The two clubs are among the oldest in the country, and have participated in every season of the national championship, La Liga. Owing to this, as well as contesting eight finals of the Copa del Rey, it is the third most-played football fixture in Spain, after the meetings of each with the third constant member of the league, Real Madrid. Due to this, it has been referred to as a Clásico, the modern Spanish term for a significant and traditional fixture which is not a derbi based on geographical proximity.
  The relationship between Athletic and Barcelona has historically been fairly healthy aside from certain periods when competitiveness became hostility, such as in the early 1980s. By the turn of the 21st century, the rivalry had largely become a historical concept due to the disparity in the fortunes of the clubs and the lack of a local element, but their frequent meetings in matches of importance, including three Copa del Rey finals, restored some relevancy to the fixture.
context_section_description: Over their long histories, only fifteen players have played for both clubs in La Liga (others did so in the years prior to its introduction, including Félix Sesúmaga and Juan Irízar):
  Manuel Vidal Hermosa
  Luis Zabala
  Gonzalo Beitia
  Emilio Aldecoa
  Jaime Escudero
  Jesús Garay
  Pedro María Zabalza
  José Ramón Alexanko
  Andoni Zubizarreta
  Julio Salinas
  Ernesto Valverde
  Ion Andoni Goikoetxea
  Xabier Eskurza
  José Mari García
  Santi Ezquerro
caption: Ernesto Valverde has played for and coached both clubs.
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