Athletic Bilbao B

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 (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, as the club itself regrouped for a return to normality.

In the 1940s, a reserve team called CD Bilbao played at regional level for a few seasons, but when they had the opportunity of promotion to the third tier, the club opted instead to send players to strengthen its more prestigious local partner Arenas de Getxo.

The name was revived in 1964, when Athletic decided to establish a reserve team with Agustín Gaínza as coach. The new Bilbao Athletic initially played in 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 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).

League re-organisation in 2021 meant the third level became the Primera Federación, consisting of only two groups and a higher average standard of play than in the four groups of Segunda B. In 2022–23, Bilbao Athletic finished bottom of their section (in which the reserves of local rivals Osasuna and Real Sociedad survived comfortably) and were relegated to the five-group Segunda Federación – the first time the team had been in the fourth tier since the 1960s, and potentially damaging for player progression at the club with a wider gap between the standards of this level and La Liga. They bounced back to the third tier immediately by winning their group in 2023–24, losing only twice.

Premier League International Cup

Athletic have competed in the Premier League International Cup – an under-23 tournament with all matches played in England – several times, with most of the players involved 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, 2019–20 and 2023–24 editions, they bowed out at the group stage (they did not enter in 2022–23). They recorded their best progress in the 2024–25 season, reaching the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Nottingham Forest after extra time.

Background

• As farm team:
  • Club Atlético de Bilbao Amateur (1964–1966)
  • Bilbao Atlético Club (1966–1972)
  • Bilbao Athletic Club (1972–1991)
• 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
• 4 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 Basque regional leagues

Players

Current squad

Reserve team

Main article: CD Basconia

Out on loan

Coaching staff

Honours

• Segunda División B: 1982–83, 1988–89
• Tercera División: 1966–67, 1968–69
• 1ª Regional league: 1965–66
• Segunda Federación: 2023–24

Stadium

Main article: Lezama Facilities

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, have reached international status, or both.

• 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
• Oihan Sancet
• 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
• Dani Vivian
• Nico Williams
• Francisco Yeste
• Félix Zubiaga
• Andoni Zubizarreta
• Luís María Zugazaga
• Fernando Amorebieta

Notes

References

References

1. [https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/club/history 1960-1969: The youth academy grows stronger], Athletic Club website
2. (2018-10-19). "Athletic: El campo 2 de Lezama sube su aforo hasta los 3.250 espectadores".
3. "Bilbao Athletic history". Athletic Bilbao.
4. [http://lafutbolteca.com/bilbao-athletic/ Historial del Bilbao Athletic] [History of Bilbao Athletic], Vicent Masià Pous, ''La Futbolteca'' (in Spanish)
5. (28 June 2015). "El Bilbao Athletic, a Segunda 19 años después y el Cádiz tendrá que esperar". [[EFE]].
6. (15 May 2016). "El Bilbao Athletic empata contra Osasuna y pierde la categoría". [[El Correo]].
7. [https://www.rfef.es/noticias/resumen-saul-berjon-recoge-testigo-dani-pendin-como-heroe-del-conjunto-burgales-1-0 RESUMEN. Saúl Berjón recoge el testigo de Dani Pendín como héroe del conjunto burgalés (1-0)] [SUMMARY. Saúl Berjón picks up the witness of Dani Pendín as the hero of the Burgos team (1-0)], [[RFEF]] (in Spanish), 23 May 2021
8. [https://www.relevo.com/futbol/primera-rfef/debacle-bilbao-athletic-cagada-abre-20230501125040-nt.html La debacle del Bilbao Athletic, “una cagada” que abre una grieta en Lezama] [The debacle of Bilbao Athletic, a "screw-up" that opens a crack in Lezama], Patxo De la Rica, ''Relevo'', 1 May 2023 (in Spanish)
9. [https://as.com/futbol/mas_futbol/el-bilbao-athletic-conquista-el-terreno-perdido-un-ano-despues-n/ El Bilbao Athletic conquista el terreno perdido un año después] [Bilbao Athletic conquers the lost ground a year later], Javier R. Beltrán, ''Diario AS'', 21 April 2024 (in Spanish)
10. (20 December 2017). "Report: Swans U23 0 Athletic Bilbao B 2". [[Swansea City A.F.C.]].
11. [https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2025/april/16/reds-book-place-in-international-cup-final/ Reds book place in International Cup final], [[Nottingham Forest F.C.]], 16 April 2025
12. "Bilbao Athletic - Plantilla 2025-26". Athletic Club.
13. "RFEF - Athletic Club B - Plantilla". Real Federación Española de Fútbol.
14. (29 May 2017). "El "Cuco" Ziganda agranda su trayectoria deportiva – Navarra Deportiva".