Good article

[Jamo Martinez]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/apr/18/europa-league-spain-la-liga

Shows what good management* of a club can do. The Athletic Bilbao team which put Man Utd to the sword** cost 22 million.





*By management, I mean the organisation of the club in general, not just 'the manager'.

**I figure using this kind of tired old metaphor makes me sound like a real footie journalist

 

[davek]

They are a good team and that manager/coach Bielsa has them knocking it about impressively. But the €22M figure for a club that has pretty much the freedom to bring in players for nothing in a region like the Basque country (Sociedad rivalry notwithstanding) surely makes that figure sound more impressive than it should? It'd be like having the north west of England to ourselves and Liverpool.

That United game: I dont want to take everything away from Athletic Bilbao, but you have to ask yourself how much United were really up for the tie. I reckon they wanted to put up a reasonable effort but to get the competition out of the way to concentrate on the PL. Same with City in their tie at that stage.

I'd rather be watching them than us like.

 

[EFCNIK]

Everyone plays as Athletic Bilbao on FIFA now.

Bellends.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

Everyone plays as Athletic Bilbao on FIFA now.

Bellends.

I don't have FIFA.
I've been a Bilbao fan for 20 years. They've been up and down in that time including flirting with relegation on more than one occaision.
You're right though. They've become the flavour of the month since beating Utd.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

They are a good team and that manager/coach Bielsa has them knocking it about impressively. But the €22M figure for a club that has pretty much the freedom to bring in players for nothing in a region like the Basque country (Sociedad rivalry notwithstanding) surely makes that figure sound more impressive than it should? It'd be like having the north west of England to ourselves and Liverpool.

That United game: I dont want to take everything away from Athletic Bilbao, but you have to ask yourself how much United were really up for the tie. I reckon they wanted to put up a reasonable effort but to get the competition out of the way to concentrate on the PL. Same with City in their tie at that stage.

I'd rather be watching them than us like.

Fact is, they do have more pull than the other clubs in the region for young undeveloped players. They obviously have to take the trouble of coaching them (which I'm sure is not cheap in itself). The downside is that when Basque players who've made the grade become available, other clubs tend to hold Athletic to ransome a bit over transfers. Knowing that their market area is limited. They also have to contend with other Northern clubs like Osasuna (Basque nationalists consider Navarra to be part of Euskadi), and Racing Santander. Not massive clubs granted but consistant first division clubs. That's without mentioning the lure of the big two. Arteta was due to sign for Athletic till Barça offered his father a job to sweeten their deal.

As for the Utd game. I think you're right but still find the way they took them apart very impressive. You then have to look at their performance against Shalke 04 in the QF. Nothing half hearted about them.

 

[johnnydawg68]

I have a ton of respect for Athletic and the way they do things. They've show that principle and a commitment to youth and developing your own players can work, although they'll never win anything. The relationship between the club and the fans is unbreakable.

 

[davek]

I have a ton of respect for Athletic and the way they do things. They've show that principle and a commitment to youth and developing your own players can work, although they'll never win anything. The relationship between the club and the fans is unbreakable.

I respect them totally. To continue their Basque-only policy and place natural limits on their abiltiy to compete is laudable. I think everyone has a sneaking regard for that type of tradition because it's a clash of cultures between commercialism and community that most other clubs have given up the fight on. I'd love to see them win La Liga again.

 

[davek]

Fact is, they do have more pull than the other clubs in the region for young undeveloped players. They obviously have to take the trouble of coaching them (which I'm sure is not cheap in itself). The downside is that when Basque players who've made the grade become available, other clubs tend to hold Athletic to ransome a bit over transfers. Knowing that their market area is limited. They also have to contend with other Northern clubs like Osasuna (Basque nationalists consider Navarra to be part of Euskadi), and Racing Santander. Not massive clubs granted but consistant first division clubs. That's without mentioning the lure of the big two. Arteta was due to sign for Athletic till Barça offered his father a job to sweeten their deal.

As for the Utd game. I think you're right but still find the way they took them apart very impressive. You then have to look at their performance against Shalke 04 in the QF. Nothing half hearted about them.

That's true. Very good outfit they put away there. They're well capable of winning this EL too.

 

[johnnydawg68]

I respect them totally. To continue their Basque-only policy and place natural limits on their abiltiy to compete is laudable. I think everyone has a sneaking regard for that type of tradition because it's a clash of cultures between commercialism and community that most other clubs have given up the fight on. I'd love to see them win La Liga again.

100% agree. If they could somehow win La Liga, or qualify for the CL and make a deep run, it would be fantastic for world football.

 

[johnnydawg68]

Its' fantasy to think we could get away with it seeing as we have to split our region up with so many other teams, but part of me just wishes if we're going to say we can't compete financially, let's just adopt a similar policy. Not as strict, but if every talented youngster in the northwest knew there was one club where you could go and get an opportunity and not be "bought over", you'd have to think we'd attract more than our fair share. I think we do now anyway to a degree, but...well I'm just being a hopeless romantic I know.