Athletic Bilbao - The Success Story of Home-Grown Talent

In an age when the amount of money flying around the game is beginning to pollute the beautiful game, Athletic Bilbao remains a breath of fresh air. They are one of only three teams never to have been relegated from the Primera Liga, along with Barcelona and Real Madrid; in the historical classification of La Liga, they are in fourth place; they have won eight Primera Liga titles and twenty-three Copa del Rey trophies in their history; one of their players still holds the record for the most Primera Liga goals with 252. What makes this all the more remarkable is that ever since 1912, the team has consisted solely of Basque players.

The Basque country is a region that spans the French-Spanish border. The Basque region is fiercely nationalistic and claims its own language, culture and customs. With a population of just over three million people, it is slightly less populous than the West Midlands. However, Athletic Bilbao have achieved all their prior success utilising solely players from this small region.


Over their history, they have been graced by some great names. The prolific Telmo Zarra spent fifteen years at the club, breaking a host of goal-scoring records. His 252 goals in the Primera Liga remains the record, ahead of legendary names such as Hugo Sanchez (234), Raul (228) and Alfredo Di Stefano (227), and he is the only player to win the Pichichi Trophy for top scorer six times. Furthermore, his 81 goals in the Copa del Rey is also an all-time record for the competition.

José Angel Iribar is another Basque legend, who was the first choice keeper at Athletic Bilbao for 16 years and for Spain for twelve years. During the 1970/71 season, he kept an extraordinary ten successive clean sheets at home (1,018 minutes), which remains a record.


The most recent Basque legend is Joseba Etxeberria, who spent 15 years at Athletic Bilbao, as well as making 53 appearances for Spain over seven years. He also put many highly-paid players to shame when he signed a final contract at the club that saw he play for no wages.

Given the limited stock of players that they restrict themselves to, their continued success is a huge credit to everyone involved at the club. They continue to develop top quality players through their academy system – Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez were both involved in Spain’s victorious 2010 World Cup campaign, whilst the likes of Francisco Yeste, Asier Del Horno, Pablo Orbaiz and Andoni Iraola have all received plaudits both domestically and internationally.

Their latest graduate, Iker Muniain, became the youngest player ever to represent the club last year at 16-years-old, and a week later became the youngster player ever to score for the club. He is also the youngest ever scorer in the history of the Primera Liga and has already attracted the attention of the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City.


There is a legitimate argument that restricting themselves to Basque players has limited the club’s ability to push on and achieve greater success, particularly in modern times. However, in a recent poll of Bilbao supporters, 86% said that they would rather the club was relegated than give up their policy on Basque-only players. In the words of club President, Fernando Garcia Macua, “We would rather go down than change our habits, I know the supporters feel the same.”

Athletic Bilbao, and their policy of Cantera (literally ‘quarry’) remains a refreshing change in a growing world of money, greed and self-interest. Barcelona claim that they are ‘mes que un club’ (‘more than a club’), but Athletic Bilbao take it a step further. Their desire to maintain the policy was strengthened through the Franco era, when the Basque people suffered horrific oppression. Supporting the club was seen as a vote against Franco. The Basque roots are bedded deep within the club and it would be a surprise to see this change any time in the future.

The club’s motto sums up the mentality of the club perfectly:

“Con cantera y aficion, no hace falta importación” – “With home-grown teams and supporters, there is no need for imports.”

DW

What does the future hold for England?

England went into the World Cup with the oldest squad in the tournament, with an average age of 28.7. Opinions were mixed with some claiming that there was plenty of experience in the squad, whilst others claimed that the squad was simply too old. As we all know, England were immensely disappointing, and at times looked slow and pedestrian in their football. Similarly, if we look at the 4 oldest teams in the competition – England, Brazil, Australia and Italy – they were all fairly disappointing when compared to pre-tournament expectations.


Now, let us look at the youngest teams in the tournament – Ghana, North Korea, Germany, Cameroon, Spain and Chile. These teams all had an average age of under 26. Four of these teams progressed to the second round, three were in the quarter-finals, two in the semi-finals and obviously Spain won the overall tournament. Now whilst this is by no means conclusive proof, there seems to be a suggestion that the younger teams performed better at these championships. Indeed, if we look at the style of play of these teams, Spain played their usual quick pass-and-move style, Germany played an attractive fast-paced attacking game, whilst Chile were one of the best teams to watch in the entire tournament, even out-playing Spain for a significant portion of their contest.

The Germans had no fewer than six players who won the U21 European Championships in 2009 in their squad for the 2010 World Cup, as well as three players from the current U21 qualifying side. These players included the majority of their critical players – goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defenders Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber and Dennis Aogo, midfielders Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos and striker Marko Marin.


So maybe this all suggests that it is time to jettison some of the older players from the squad and refresh the ranks with some younger players. Joe Hart will almost certainly come in as the first-choice keeper for the Euro 2012 qualifiers, replacing the ageing David James, and the now-questionable Robert Green. After impressing last season for Villa and England, James Milner will be pushing for a permanent position on either the right-hand side or the centre of England’s midfield. Having made it into the provisional 30-man squad, Theo Walcott, Adam Johnson and Michael Dawson are likely to press for a more permanent role in the squad, whilst those that just missed out, including the likes of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young, Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill will be pressing for a position.

Emile Heskey has already announced his retirement from international football. It would be no surprise if the likes of Matthew Upson and Jamie Carragher were to follow in losing their spots in the squad. The biggest potential exclusion from the Euro 2012 qualifying squad could be former skipper, John Terry. Whilst he is an excellent defender, he lacks that extra yard of pace and he is potentially a disruptive influence on the squad. Combined with his attack on Capello during the tournament, it would be no major shock if his international career was coming to a close.

In the more distant future, things look promising for England. The U21 side was a losing finalist in the 2009 UEFA U21 European Championships, improving from their semi-final appearance in 2008. Similarly, the U19 team was a losing finalist in the 2009 U19 European Championship. The U17 side has recently won the 2010 U17 European Championships, beating a strong Spanish side in the final. This suggests that there are plenty of decent players coming through, but whether they will progress and be given the opportunity in the Premiership is a different matter.


So who are the potential future stars for England from these younger age groups? We take a quick look at 10 players who could become important players in the years to come.

1. Jack Wilshere – Arsenal (midfielder)

Jack Wilshere is only 18 years old, but is one of the most promising talents that England has produced for many years. One of the few English players at Arsenal, Wenger holds him in such high regard that he is seen as a potential replacement for Fabregas. A technically gifted player, he is excellent with the ball at his feet, and has been compared to Paul Gascoigne in terms of his potential ability.


2. Jack Rodwell – Everton (midfielder)

Jack Rodwell burst into the Everton team over the last couple of seasons as a talented midfielder. A former captain of both the England U16 and U18, he is expected to move back into a defensive role in the longer term, but his recent performances in the centre of midfield for Everton have led for calls for an opportunity at senior level.


3. Nathan Delfouneso – Aston Villa (striker)

Nathan Delfouneso has scored goals for fun at youth and reserve level in the past couple of years, and has continued that form at international level. Six goals in five games for the U17 team, ten goals in 22 games for the U19, including winning the Golden Boot at the 2009 U19 European Championships and a goal on his debut for the U21 team have showed his immense potential. His style, speed and technique have raised comparisons with the great Thierry Henry in the French media.


4. Tom Cruise – Arsenal (defender)

Despite sharing a name with the famous actor, Tom Cruise is proving himself as a good prospect for the future. He made his Arsenal debut last season at left-back against Olympiakos in the Champions League, and has impressed at youth level for England.


5. Ciaran Clark – Aston Villa (defender)

Ciaran Clark is a former England U18, U19 and U20 captain, as well as leading the Aston Villa academy and reserve teams to their respective titles. He impressed in the Peace Cup for Villa last summer against Juventus and Porto, and was man-of-the-match on his Villa debut last season against Fulham. A hugely talented central defender, he will be hoping to break into the Villa side this season.


6. Connor Wickham – Ipswich (striker)

Connor Wickham broke into the Ipswich squad last season, as well as starring for England U17 as they won the U17 European Championships. A brace in the semi-final as well as a goal in the final marked him out as a player to watch for the future. Arsenal and Tottenham are chasing the £10m-rated striker.


7. Josh McEachran – Chelsea (midfielder)

One of the stars of Chelsea’s youth Cup triumph last season, the young midfielder is one to watch for the future. A former England U16 captain, he was another star of the U17 title-winning England side earlier this year. Fleet of foot and with a great ability to read the game, he is a great prospect.


8. Conor Coady – Liverpool (midfielder)

The captain of the U17 winning England side, the young midfielder was the driving force in midfield alongside McEachran. Assuming he gets the opportunity to play first-team football in the coming years, he should be one to watch.


9. Jack Butland – Birmingham (goalkeeper)

Another U17 international, he began the tournament as the 2nd choice keeper. However, given his opportunity, he put in a series of excellent performances and retained his place in the team. Put in an excellent performance in the final in particular, and may be one to watch in a few years time.


10. Gary Gardner – Aston Villa (midfielder)

Played for England at U17, U19 and U20 level last season before a cruciate ligament injury ended his season early. The younger brother of Craig Gardner, he was scoring for fun for the Villa academy and reserve teams before his injury, and hopefully he can come back to fulfil the potential that he undoubtedly has.

Spanish football faces financial implosion

Spanish football is currently riding a wave of euphoria following the success of the national side in South Africa. Andres Iniesta’s late goal in Soccer City in Johannesburg sparked wild celebrations throughout the country. However, there is another wave that is growing, and it is one that is threatening to wash away any positive feelings in Spanish football. And that is the financial situation that is threatening the very existence of La Liga.


Just as Spain are currently the darlings of the international scene, Spain’s flagship club side, FC Barcelona, have drawn admiring glances from all corners in recent years, both for their attractive style of football, but also for the sensible and responsible manner in which the club has been run. ‘Mes que un club’ is their motto – ‘More than a club’ – and it is seen as not just a business, but an integral part of the community.

However, recent weeks have seen more unsavoury issues cropping up. The new club president, Sandro Roselli, had hinted at financial problems during his election campaign, and these have come to the fore in spectacular fashion. The club has experienced major liquidity problems that have led to the players not being paid for last month. They have been forced to approach the market for an additional €155m to cover their working costs, which they received from a group of Spanish banks. They have also been forced to sell Dmitro Chygrynskiy back to Shakhtar Donetsk for €15m, having paid over €25m for him less than 12 months previously. The more interesting aspect of this deal though is that manager, Josep Guardiola, wanted to keep the player, but the club sold him over his head to relieve the cash-flow problem.


Increased wage costs are a large part of the reason for the problems at Barcelona. In 2008, wages were just under €170m, but these have rocketed by 55% up to €262m in 2009/10. Some of this increase can be attributed to greater bonus payments as a result of the remarkable success that the club has experienced in recent times. Unfortunately, revenue has only increased by 33% over that same period. This means that wages now account for almost 64% of income. Furthermore, a major worry is that the short-term debt of €392m that the club faces far exceeds their working capital of €110m. There are some worries around the club that they may have to default on some of their loans during the close season.

However, it is not just Barcelona facing financial difficulties at the current time. The economic conditions in Spain at the moment have led to many clubs being forced deep into the red, and some to the brink of bankruptcy. The worst recession in over 50 years, the collapse of the real estate market and the dramatic increase in wage and transfer costs have all contributed to the current financial crisis in La Liga.

The financial statistics paint a damning picture. The 20 clubs in La Liga have a combined debt of €3.53bn, having recently overtaken the Premiership as the most indebted league in the world. Revenue growth in 07/08 and 08/09 has slumped from 10% to 4%, whilst operating costs have risen to €1.7bn, outstripping income of just €1.46bn – a significant difference of €240m. Only 3 clubs – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Numancia – made an operating profit. Labour costs represent 85% of total operating income of the 20 clubs.

As we can see, the situation is worrying, and getting worse. A major reason for the financial disparity in Spain is the negotiation of TV deals. Each club negotiates their own TV deal, rather than the collective bargaining agreement that is commonplace in other countries. As a result, Real Madrid and Barcelona rake in around half of the €600m pot of TV revenue between them – more than double that of the 3rd placed team, Valencia, and almost 19 times that of lowly Xerez. This leads to the big two having more money to spend that the other clubs, who often overspend in order to try and bridge the gap.


Despite the wishes of the other clubs to move to a collective bargaining agreement, the government and sporting bodies have shown no inclination to accede to their demands. This has led to the dramatic threat by a number of the richer clubs to break away from La Liga, creating a new and separate first division. This would clearly cause absolute chaos in Spanish football, and is likely to eventually lead to a change in the negotiations.

Potential new regulations are being debated where clubs will be limited to not spending more than 70-75% of their income on wages and transfer fees. This would include the powers to exclude any offenders from competitions. Whilst these new regulations would help, they still provide plenty of room for offenders to avoid them, and it seems as though they have come too late. With Valencia’s recent problems, and 5th placed Mallorca entering administration on the brink of bankruptcy, these issues should really have been addressed sooner.

Spain’s victory in the World Cup will provide a boost for Spanish football, but it needs to be harnessed in the correct manner to help to provide a financial benefit for the game in the country. Otherwise, the growing financial problems in the country are threatening to not only lead to the destruction of individual clubs, but could also rip apart the fabric of the league itself in Spain. And nobody would like to see that.

my secret passion

If I was a guy (and I am not), my dream career would be an INTERNATIONAL SOCCER STAR. I am serious. I love watching soccer. I do not understand why Americans do not like soccer. I guess it is because we don't like time consuming activities and international soccer is not exactly a goal a minute. But I feel international soccer has soooooo much more meaning than basketball or football. Because soccer is serious business overseas. You are FIGHTING FOR YOUR COUNTRY through this sport. So pretty much, the hopes and dreams of all your country are in your hands (actually more of your feeet except for the GOALIES)!!! My dad and I have spent the last couple weeks screaming over the UEFA (European Soccer Cup). My dad and I are the only ones in our family who take it really seriously. Sometimes my mom likes to watch with us but she gets stressed about by our rampant screaming at the tv. I think it is more meaningful when soccer players make goals because they don't make goals often, and when they do, it is MEANINGFUL because it takes so long to make a goal and they try sooo hard and sometimes goals can happen only with LUCK!

-----to review my favorite games of the semi-finals to finals

turkey vs. germany

BEST GAME EVER. turkey was truely UNDERDOG. i always root for the underdog because i feel like they should deserve to win the most. turkey had never gone to semi-finals (top four) EVER and all thanks to hiddink (he has semi-final magic; brought korea to final four in fifa 2006). both teams were SUPER FAST and played SUPER HARD. and it was amazing. first turkey strikes a goal, then three minutes later, GERMANY GETS A GOAL. then later.... GERMANY gets a goal, then TURKEY GETS IT RIGHT AFTER THAT. that is exciting. then in the SECOND TO LAST MINUTE, GERMANY MAKES A CRAZY GOAL!!!!! I was very sad that Turkey could not win, but they made such an effort that it was not a disappointing loss.

FINAL. spain vs. germany
I really did not know who would win. Germany has been in top two for six champions (uefa & fifa combined) so they were truely the top dog. But in the first half hour, both teams seemed really tense and stressed and they were both seeming to be slow and had a hard time to attempting goals. Germany at first was making a lot of attempts, but once TORRES (spain; <333)>

But as a result of following the UEFA, I have fallen in love all over again with HOT EUROPEAN SOCCER PLAYERS!!!!!! So goal in life; marry a international soccer player. Or at least make out with one :). So I think Spain is definetly on my list for studies abroad. Good thing I took SPANISH!!! That is when it will come in handy.

Fernando Torres (26!!!)
He is such a baby face cutie.


Sergio Ramos Garcia (22!!!)
Can't believe he is younger than Torres.
He is pure sexy muscle. GAHH!!

Michael Ballack (31)
Sad that he was not able to bring victory
as captain. But I think he has great charisma!
He reminds me of Mark Wahlberg!!!

I cannot wait for FIFA WORLD CUP 2010!!!!

So update on my life? Just enjoying simple summer with my friends. I think the best hangout days are when we are just doing low-key things like hanging at someone's house and watching movies or just going to the park. I've been doing that a lot. So yesterday, it was my friend's birthday and so the girls were at his house and they called me at like 1 pm. I was actually still sleeping until Michelle called me. They were deciding what should we do to hangout so I just told them to come over to swim at my house. So in the end, the girls (tiffany, jerri, adrienne, michelle) and kingston came to my house. We swam, ate, took pictures (like always), rented movies and went to the park. I think we gave Kingston a nice birthday by hanging with him on his special day. It was a nice day. Tiffany and Jerri left before we went to get movies and we rented BE KIND REWIND, FAST TIMES OF RIDGEMONT HIGH, KISS KISS BANG BANG! We only watched the first two movies. But we really wanted to try an 80's movie we hadn't seen. and Fast Times of Ridgemont High was funny but omg BOOOOBBIIIIES!! I feel immature but when we saw the makeout and then suddenly a boob pop out, we (michelle, me, adrienne, and kingston) started squealing and hiding behind pillows!!! Haha, we are soo innocent. We saw boob more than once in that movie. And then there was this scene where two girls are discussing how to do a blowjob and they are demonstrating with CARROTS!!

It was pretty ridiculous but funny. Why don't they make such great high school movies like the 80's/90's?!!! I love old funky movies like these.

It was a nice day. I like to remember days like these.

Gawd, aren't we nerdy?

---- ck.