All of the players listed were either born or raised in the Basque region, with most meeting both of those criteria. The area has never produced a successful football club, but it has given France some of its most successful players. Only played in one unofficial wartime internationals: See, Also played in 2 additional unofficial wartime matches in 1937 and 1938: See. But that has all changed since the 26-year-old returned to his boyhood Athletic Club Bilbao last summer. [16], On 22 November 1916 the Cantabrian teams left the North Federation, joining the newly formed Cantabrian Federation (Federacin Cantbrica de Clubes de Football), which encompassed Asturian and Cantabrian clubs. [44] FIFA demanded that Cuba should not play the Basque Country. Had this been one year ago, Mikel Balenziaga would not even be on the reserves of this list. On 29 September 1913 the Royal Spanish Football Federation was formally created and along with it four regional federations (Norte, Oeste, Este and Centro). Bayonne has given football more than just Deschamps. Yet, it is not certain that Alonso would elect to play for the Basques. [6] Most of their home matches have been played in the San Mams Stadium which was replaced in 2013 by the new San Mams. Both clubs merged later in 1915. Despite being mainly used a left-back under manager Jose Mourinho, Azpilicueta has played the majority of his career as a right-back and will likely do so with Spain in Brazil this summer. 8 Iribar, widely known as 'El Chopo' (The Popular), is an eminent figure of Basque . World Football Xabi Alonso, Fernando Llorente and the Best Basque Players: A Starting XI Michael Cerna March 8, 2012 With Barcelona's massive success in recent years, Catalunya has gotten. There are several veteran players that would be able to lead the team, as well as plenty of young stars that would provide energy and a strong work ethic. Other stand-ins for Herrera would include Mikel Arteta, Benat and Raul Garica. Llorente is best known for being able to score headers from anywhere in the box, but he has a strong shot. With a deep talent pool to choose from, the Basques would be able to field a team capable of making it out of the group stages of a World Cup. Is there a way to edit player names on the YAP to make it more realistic? Clubs (excluding reserve and woman's sections), challenge the British team in 1894 to a match at Lamiako, Category:Football in the Basque Country (autonomous community), "Total Football: History of Spanish football (I): The Origins", "El Club Atleta de los Astilleros del Nervin (1889-1894) y el Athletic Club de Bilbao (1901-)", "The Englishmen's Field: The place where football took root in Bilbao", "La historia del Athletic en 10 momentos", "The history of Athletic Bilbao: 1898-1936", "Football Travel in Spain - Basque Country Guide", "Spain trip day 3: Youth football at Athletic | NorCal Premier", "Soccer, Culture and Society in Spain: An Ethnography of Basque Fandom", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Football_in_the_Basque_Country&oldid=1138199153, Football in the Basque Country (autonomous community), CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 February 2023, at 14:36. Only played in one unofficial wartime international: See, Only played in two unofficial wartime international matches: See, Includes 1 match not counted by some sources: See. Basque Country won a penalty shootout 43. From there Petit was sent to Madrid for further schooling and with regular organised football on the curriculum he was soon spotted by the then FC Madrid, the club that, with royal patronage, would later become Real Madrid. For now,EuskalSelekzioahas to settle for one friendly every year. After his death in 1975, The team was up and running again, playing 26 friendly games so far against countries from around the world associated with FIFA however they themselves are not connected to FIFA. Since then, the Basque winger has been a regular in the line-up and a fan favorite at the San Mames. In all likelihood, Griezmann would still choose to represent France and has been listed in the country's squad list for the World Cup. Notable former players include Spanish World Cup. Basque Country score listed first in all matches. For a list of recent Basque Country national team players, Jos ngel Iribar and Xabier Expsito, 19932001, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 04:07. Born in Dax in October 1899, to a mother from Madrid and a French father, Petit spent much of his childhood following his fathers work commitments as an engineer, moving back and forth between France and Spain on a regular basis until the family settled on the Spanish side of the Basque border in the town of Irun. He has never been outspoken about being Basque, but there are options to replace him in Aritz Aduriz and Imanol Agirretxe. Players who are still active for the national team are players who have not retired from football (although they may have retired from their FIFA international team) and are, subsequently, eligible to be called up. Pairing Alonso with Javi Martinez would give the Basque national team one of the best double pivots in the world and would make scoring goals nearly impossible for opponents. This contrasts with their opponents, as the fixture does not contribute to their Association ranking points or individual cap totals and is thus one of the least significant matches out of several they would play each year. Sarramagna represented France and played in Saint-tiennes defeat to Bayern Munich in the 1976 European Cup final. Players who have already appeared for a FIFA national team can play for the Basques in addition, but if they are simultaneously called up for both, the FIFA squad (usually Spain) takes precedence. Success after success for both club and country followed his move to Germany. Basque Country won a penalty shootout 54. ", "Ha prohibido la Federacion Holandesa el match Rotterdam-Seleccion Vasca? Above all else, he excels in holding up play and can create chances for otherssomething that would come in handy with Muniain and Griezmann flanking him on the wings. [1] The latter was a leading port of an important industrial area with iron mines and shipyards nearby. He knows how to take the ball off of an attacker and isn't afraid to make a difficult tackle. Eden might be the better footballer, but he doesn't have the best name in the family. [14] In May 1916, 'Norte' faced Catalonia twice in Barcelona, winning by 13 on the 21st,[15] and drawing 00 on the 22nd. Not only has the 24-year-old become the best Spaniard at his position, he may very well be one of the best full-backs in the world. Their first match with that name was against Cantabria on 29 November 1936 in Santander, when the Cantabrians won 32. Also played in 1 additional unofficial wartime match in 1938: See, Only played in two unofficial wartime internationals: See, Only played in eight unofficial wartime international matches: See, Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 22:36, Basque Country national football team results, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1965, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1913, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1937, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches), Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1953, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1936, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1947, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1985, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1920, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1962, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1940, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1933, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1938, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1960, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1988, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1934, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1966, "Xabi Alonso, Fernando Llorente and the Best Basque Players: A Starting XI", "Basque Greatest All-time 23 member team", "Catalonia and Basque Country reignite call for independent national football identities", "Basque Country: The Spain internationals playing for a different team", List of all Basque players who have played international football, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Basque_footballers&oldid=1140192464, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 22:36. [71], On 28 December 2013, the Basque team played its first match in the new San Mames stadium against Peru[72] winning 60. Andoni Iraola, Carlos Martinez and Carlos Gurpegui are all proven and experienced defenders. [1] He was recently left offthe squad list for last friendly against Peru, presumably because he has never been that outspoken about supporting the Basque Country. Castile and Len won a penalty shootout 42. He also played for France at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp. Likewise, it was the British employees of the Nervin Shipyards, located in Sestao (Vizcaya), who organized and played the first known football match in the region, which was held on 4 April 1890, between the Machinery Department (engineers) and the Shipyard Workers, ending in an 81 to the former. This local rivalry was very strong in such a small town, but the success of these teams was important. Please note: Those from Navarre and the French Basque Country should be placed in separate categories. Christian Sarramagna and Flix Lacuesta played their part in AS Saint-tiennes domination of French football in the mid-1970s. Beyond Gorka Iraizoz, there are other promising keepers. In 1922 separate teams were created for Biscay and Cantabria because the former decided to form their own federation (Biscayan Federation).[18][19]. Basque football hinges on having a strong defense, fast wingers and a target man who can finish off chances. [50] Playing for the Basque Country were Carmelo Cedrn, (Alarcia), Gorriti, Martnez, Marigil, (Zabala), Azcrate, (Iruretagoyena), Iguarn, Amas, Dionisio Urreizti, Landa, (Chapela), Mauri, (Mendiluce) and Erro. Most of the players stayed on in the Americas and joined teams there. Squad for the friendly against Costa Rica on 16 November 2020. When Bilbao was captured by Franco's forces on 19 June 1937 the Basque team were in Moscow, having been invited by the Soviet Union's Politburo due to political motivations. With Madrid, Petit reached the 1916 and 1917 Copa del Rey finals, winning the 1917 final with a virtuoso performance against Arenas Club de Getxo, before walking away from the club to join his hometown side Real Unin in Irun. [13] In the same competition they drew 11 with. [31] Their only loss was against Spartak Moscow. Bernard Blancan, actor. From experience to young raw talent, the Basque midfield would have it all. Lacuesta, often on the fringes at Saint-tienne, went on to play in the 1978 Uefa Cup final for Bastia and was in the side that won the 1981 French Cup final against his former club. The game was played as a fundraiser for a campaign promoting the Basque language called "Bai Euskarari", organized by Sustraiak, as a response to its suppression during the dictatorship. This complicated situation of federations splitting off continued for a few more years. 165 Basque players signed a statement announcing that they would not play unless the team was called 'Euskal Herria'. The Basque Country has a powerful sense of its own sovereignty, and this week, its older football figures have been remembering the significant events of 40 years ago, when, in a Real Sociedad versus Athletic match, the players took to the field bearing, proudly, the Basque flag, the ikurrina. Can only sign and field Basque players. It wasn't until 1930 that the Biscayan and Gipuzkoan federations finally came together to create the first permanent team with the name 'Vasconia' ('Baskoniako selekzioa') to represent the Basque Country. Alonso's passing and ability to dictate play would fit in perfectly with the Basque footballing style, and he would likely be able to go forward more than usual with Martinez covering the defensive duties. Even better, his father apparently wanted to call him Thorgal, after a famous Belgian comic . The Basque Country has had a football team of its own since 1930. Lizarazus last act in a Bordeaux shirt was to play in the 1996 Uefa Cup final defeat to Bayern Munich. Bilbao scouted him early and he played six successful seasons. [13], In the early 21st century, Basque football is represented by many clubs old and new, some of them holding a strong presence in the Spanish top division La Liga, including Athletic Bilbao (who have played there on a constant basis since its formation in 1928 and been champions eight times, plus 23 Copa del Rey wins and two UEFA Cup / Europa League finals), Real Sociedad (present in all but a handful of seasons, champions twice and Copa winners three times, including 2020 which was a Basque derby between Athletic and Real), Deportivo Alavs (somewhat intermittent members of the top division but with strong periods and a UEFA Cup final appearance in 2001) and SD Eibar (from 2014 to 2021, characterised as one of the smallest clubs to take part at that level).[14]. Of the 28 at la Real, 17 are Basque (19,. [15] Athletic Bilbao are highly regarded due to their ability to compete against the biggest teams like Real Madrid, Atltico Madrid, and FC Barcelona over several decades despite this restriction and commitment to local young players. One season at Chelsea brought him an FA Cup winners medal, before a final injury-hit campaign spent at Valencia culminated in a fifth Champions League final, where he could only watch on from the bench as an unused substitute as Hctor Cpers side lost out in Milan to Bayern Munich in a penalty shoot-out. Ander Herrera was born in the city of Bilbao, but grew up in the youth ranks of Zaragoza. [29][30][31] At the same time a choir called Eresoinka was formed to tour Europe for the same purpose. [2][4][9] While Athletic Club was mainly formed by local players, having only one foreigner in its ranks, Alfred Mills,[3] Bilbao FC was mostly made up by foreigners, such as Walter Evans, George Langford, William Dyer, and George Cockram. 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