With its unique culture and regional pride, the Basque Country holds an important place in the history of Spanish football.
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00:00Spain is a country with incredible rich heritage when it comes to football.
00:05It's home to some of the world's biggest clubs, but also has culture you won't find anywhere else.
00:11Not least in the Basque Country, where fans and players have an extra special relationship with their teams.
00:23Hello and welcome to Football Now, here from the Albayt Stadium in Qatar.
00:29This week we're taking an in-depth look at the unique football culture of Spain's Basque Country.
00:35It's an area that's home to four clubs who played a vital role in making Spanish football what it is today.
00:44The Basque Country covers areas in both northern Spain and southwestern France.
00:49Despite accounting for only 1.4% of Spanish territory,
00:53four of the ten founding members of the inaugural Spanish League in 1929 were from the Basque Country.
01:00The two main metropolitan areas within the region are Bilbao and San Sebastian,
01:05which are home to two of the country's biggest clubs in Athletic Club Bilbao and Real Sociedad.
01:11Both Real Union and Arenas were also among those founding clubs
01:17and had silverware success in the early formative years.
01:21The Basque Country Country has a key role in the creation of what we know today as the Liga.
01:26It's true that it has a reduced size of 10 teams.
01:28These are the fundamental ones for the Athletic Club and Real Sociedad.
01:31And the Athletic was also a pioneer in organizing competitions and promoting that professional football in Spain.
01:36The Basque Country has been reflected in that style of game,
01:39which was characterized by an intensity and an emphasis on a local football,
01:43not so polarized or open as today.
01:48And thanks to these clubs, the football in Spain began to become professional,
01:53to structure in a competitive way and marked the beginning of a league
01:57that is one of the most prestigious in the world.
01:59The Basque Country not only sees itself as unique from a football perspective,
02:04but also from a political perspective as well.
02:07The region has long regarded itself as distinct from the rest of the nation.
02:12It has its own language, its own culture, its own identity.
02:17It even has its own flag.
02:19And you are far more likely to see the Icarina flying high when Spain are competing in major tournaments,
02:26rather than the traditional national flag.
02:29The region's most iconic club, without doubt, is Athletic Club Bilbao.
02:57They actually haven't won La Liga since 1984,
03:01but they are Spain's third most successful team in terms of trophies lifted.
03:06So, what makes them special?
03:08Well, a long-standing tradition since their inception,
03:12and to this day, they only field players who were born in the Basque Country.
03:17In the modern game, that makes it a little bit more difficult to compete with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
03:23But despite having such a small talent pool to choose from, they remarkably have never been relegated from Spain's top division.
03:32It's true that the philosophy of Athletic is almost known in the entire world.
03:38This tradition, this philosophy, is also seen as a way to preserve the values and identity cultural of the Basque Country.
03:45And I think it demonstrates that for the Athletic, football is not only about winning titles, but about how you win them,
03:51and what you represent and what you link to when you win a title.
03:56I think the Athletic will never lose this tradition and this philosophy.
04:00As I said, it's a way to represent in the world what the Basque Country is,
04:05what the football is from here, in a small region where there are so good players,
04:09and so useful in other bigger teams.
04:13Basque players are extremely proud to represent their clubs,
04:17so much so that it can be difficult to convince them to leave.
04:21This was experienced by several Premier League clubs last summer,
04:24in their pursuit of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
04:29However, this summer could be different.
04:32Zubimendi has been linked with Arsenal and Real Madrid ahead of the 2025-26 season.
04:38Both clubs have ties to his Basque heritage, from old teammates to coaches who are also from the region.
04:46So, could the midfielder finally be set for a new challenge from this summer onwards?
04:52The feeling here in San Sebastián is that Zubimendi is going to leave in summer.
04:57We have a bit of fear in Arsenal because they are going to join Isaac, Odegaard, Merino,
05:04all of them who have played with Zubimendi in the Real Sociedad,
05:07and now Zubimendi.
05:09It seems like a continuation of playing in the Real,
05:13they are going to play in Arsenal.
05:15There is also a bit of the Real Madrid, because if Zubimendi is going to leave,
05:20but Xavi Alonso can throw a lot, because he was his coach,
05:23and Zubimendi has always said that he is his idol.
05:25We want him to leave, but I think the thing can be between Arsenal and Real Madrid.
05:30The Basque Country in Spain will always be known for being slightly different to the rest of the country,
05:36due to their cultural differences and traditions.
05:39Let us know if you think the likes of Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad
05:43can reach the pinnacle of Spanish football once again, using the hashtag
05:48FootballNowBasqueCountry.
05:50That's all we've got time for, though, here this week.
05:53We'll see you next time.
05:54Bye for now.
05:55Bye for now.