Gorka Iraizoz Wouldn't Give Messi, Suarez, Pedro the Ball Back in Super Cup
Aug 18, 2015
BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 17: Pedro Rodriguez (L), Lionel Messi (C) and Luis Suarez (R) of FC Barcelona try to take the ball from goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz (bottom) of Athletic Club after Lionel Messi scored the opening goal during the Spanish Super Cup second leg match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at Camp Nou on August 17, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Among the fallout from Athletic Bilbao's stunning Spanish Super Cup win over Barcelona, people have started to notice one of the greatest attempts at time-wasting in the history of football.
After Lionel Messi opened the scoring on the night to get Barcelona back into the tie, Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz decided to throw himself onto the ball in an attempt to prevent Barca rushing the ball back to kick-off.
His stubborn determination to hold on to the ball for close to 20 seconds is impressive, even if it is bordering on cheating.
It brings back memories of an infamous incident involving Eden Hazard and a Swansea ballboy. The Chelsea forward was sent off for kicking the ball from underneath the time-wasting youngster.
Fortunately, Messi and Co.'s response was a little more restrained, with Iraizoz eventually forced to give the ball up. He got the last laugh, though, as Athletic held on to win their first trophy in 31 years.
Athletic Bilbao vs. Barcelona: Goals, Highlights from Spanish Super Cup
Aug 14, 2015
Oh my word, Mikel San Jose.
The Athletic Bilbao man scored a stunning hit from 40 yards out against Barcelona on the half volley to give his side an early advantage in their Spanish Super Cup match Friday night.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen was a bit off his line, but the technique San Jose used to beat him was still jaw-dropping.
Aritz Aduriz doubled Athletic Bilbao's league with a powerful headed goal to make it 2-0.
SAN JOSE JUST SCORED THIS GOAL FOR ATHLETIC BILBAO AGAINST BARCELONA! WOW. http://t.co/LyIqTkUzs8
Bilbao's Aritz Aduriz Salutes Injured Iker Muniain After Last-Minute Equaliser
Apr 9, 2015
Athletic Club's five-game winning streak was ended with a 2-0 defeat at Sevilla on Saturday, and it looked as if the Basques were destined to fall to a 1-0 defeat at home to Valencia on Thursday evening.
However, in the 90th minute, former Valencia striker Aritz Aduriz poked home an equaliser, robbing his former employer of two points. To add even more narrative, Aduriz appeared to be offside when his teammate Borja Viguera originally shot at goal.
Aduriz yanks three points away from Valencia in the 90th minute. Cold blooded. Athletic 1-1 Valenciahttps://t.co/Nj1NIxZXwW
While celebrating the goal, Aduriz gestured to the stands to his injured teammate Iker Muniain, who was ruled out for six months with an ACL injury after an incident in Athletic Club's last game.
— Alexis Tubay Chávez (@ZarAlexisTubay) April 9, 2015
[Vine]
Romantics Can Dream, but Athletic Bilbao Still Struggling to Find Vintage Crop
Jan 20, 2015
You have to go back as far as 1984 to find the last time Athletic Bilbao paraded the Liga trophy along the banks of the Nervion river that cuts through the city. Chances are it will probably be a long, long time before we get the chance to see it again.
Way back then, loud, proud and bleeding Basque blood, the tough, uncompromising sides built by the no-nonsense Javier Clemente went to war, in the process winning back-to-back La Ligas in 1983 and also 1984, when they achieved the league and cup double.
Since then nothing in terms of silverware—unless you count the Spanish Supercup they were awarded automatically for winning the double—although to be fair to them they got very close when Marcelo Bielsa took them to the final of the Europa League where they froze against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
They are also, as every sports quizzer knows, the only Spanish side other than Barcelona and Real Madrid never to have been relegated.
The flip side to that since the halcyon days of Clemente’s first stay at the club is that is it is difficult to find a time when they had two good seasons in a row and unfortunately for them and their coach, Ernesto Valverde, this time around the club is going to historical form.
And this is why.
First and foremost it doesn’t help when you have football’s giants stealing the family silver. Most recently, Bayern Munich (Javi Martinez), Juventus (Fernando Llorente) and Manchester United (Ander Herrera) have signed the club’s greatest players.
But even then it’s not as simple as that, especially when you can only replace them with other Basque players.
To be fair the rule has been relaxed somewhat since the early days. Llorente is in fact from Pamplona, although he was at Bilbao from the ago of 11, and Ismael Urzaiz—one of the club’s favourite sons who made 367 league appearances and scored 118 goals—was born in Tudela. Both towns are in the neighbouring province of Navarra. Not the Basque country last time I looked, even though some would claim so.
That said while the club might occasionally "bend" the rules to sign a player, there is no way they would ever break them.
Academies, like vineyards, have good, very good and vintage years. Unfortunately they also have very mediocre years; okay years but nothing sensational. When you are trying to replace something a bit special with something average, you will suffer.
There’s also more than a chance that when, for example, you lose a star forward the only thing you can replace him with that happens to be of star potential just happens to be a defender where, perhaps, you are more than covered at the moment.
With a policy that puts such limitations on their ability to sign players, the club are now also cleverly signing the best of second-generation immigrants born in the Basque country of non-Basque parents.
Inaki Williams, aged just 20, was born in Bilbao the son of a Liberian mother and a Ghanaian father. His spark impressed at the weekend despite the team being defeated.
At any club, not just Athletic, the older, established veterans of the side, especially as they find themselves approaching the twilight of their careers, not unnaturally do their level best to protect their seats at the top table.
This can be damaging at any club but at one that relies on youth coming through as the very lifeblood of its existence, it is potentially disastrous and requires a firm coaching regime to control the situation.
In addition, Athletic Bilbao is not the only Basque, or near to Basque country, side that is actively looking to recruit young local talent. San Sebastian’s Real Sociedad and Osasuna in Pamplona are always constantly searching for the stars of the future.
The only difference is that they are prepared to look elsewhere. Athletic aren’t and that’s why they are something of a yo-yo club albeit one that has, to date, limited its yo-yoing activities to the first tier of Spanish football.
Ah. And they are also, for the choice of philosophy, the most romantic club in the world.
Analysing the Fall of Athletic Bilbao from Champions League to La Liga Drop Zone
Oct 6, 2014
Bilbao's head coach Ernesto Valverde, right, reacts as Bilbao's Iker Muniain, left, speaks during a news conference in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, Sept. 29, 2014. Athletic Bilbao will face BATE Borisov on Tuesday Sept. 30, 2014 in their Champions League Group Stage in group H soccer match in Borisov. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
The end of the 2013-14 season in Spain marked an important event in La Liga's annual conclusions: Atletico Madrid lifted the league title, the first side in a decade to do so other than Barcelona and Real Madrid.
That unexpected outcome—along with Spain bombing at the World Cup, perhaps—took away plenty of spotlight from Athletic Bilbao's excellent campaign and fourth-place finish, which earned them a Champions League place and their highest La Liga placing since the late '80s in the process.
Hampered—or strengthened, depending on your point of view—by their own Basque-only policy, trophyless in decades and up against the might of the big two (or three), a fourth-place finish showed the exceptional work of Ernesto Valverde and his side last season.
Howver, that form hasn't translated into sustained success this term, with Athletic Bilbao currently residing in the relegation zone after a 5-0 defeat by Real Madrid.
Increased Expectations—and Challenges
Of course, it was always going to be tough for Athletic to maintain a top-four standard while balancing Champions League football, but extra games aren't the only issue this season.
Indeed, it doesn't seem to have had any effect at all thus far. Sevilla and Valencia have both shown early signs of being capable to challenge in the top four again, while the likes of Real Sociedad, Villarreal and Celta Vigo cannot be ignored.
VALENCIA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 04: Players of Valencia celebrate behind Raul Garcia of Atletico de Madrid after the La Liga match between Valencia CF and Club Atletico de Madrid at Estadi de Mestalla on October 4, 2014 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Qu
Competition is fierce for that fourth place in La Liga, and unlike other teams, Athletic cannot simply go out and spend £20 or £30 million on a few players to improve the squad, simply because of the requirement for players to have either been born or had their footballing education in the Basque region. This limits the amount of players they can reasonably target to make the squad bigger or better: Ander Herrera left for Manchester United in the summer for over €30 million, but only Borja Viguera, a €1 million forward, came in.
NAPLES, ITALY - AUGUST 19: Ernesto Valverde head coach of Athletic Bilbao during the first leg of UEFA Champions League qualifying play-offs round match between SSC Napoli and Athletic Club on August 19, 2014 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini
It also stands to reason that Athletic have quickly become a bigger scalp for teams to take, and thus teams may play harder, better and more quickly against them as they seek to take a big result.
Perhaps this latter point shouldn't be an issue if Athletic have designs on being a regular top-four side, but either way the current squad haven't gotten to grips with needing to show that relentless, winning consistency which La Liga's top sides muster.
Settled Side the Problem?
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Unai Lopez of Athletic Club Bilbao reacts during the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Levante UD at San Mames Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
While no new signings can be seen as an obvious downside, the flip side suggests having a settled squad might be a good thing for a team; they already know their own strengths, weaknesses and tactics.
But that's not such a good thing when form or fitness dictates that certain areas of the team are underperforming and there is nobody new to come in and freshen up the side.
Unai Lopez is a young attacking midfielder who has come in this term and made fleeting appearances as Valverde looks to offer something new, but too many of the same faces just haven't clicked into gear this term.
Mikel Rico and Ander Iturraspe, for example, have been a very good pairing in the centre, mixing the energy and aggression that both players possess with the technique, creativity and ability to run forward that Iturraspe brings. He's a player who could easily play at a (consistently) much better team, but he's the heart of this Bilbao midfield anyway.
The duo have largely been good—but ahead of them, Benat has been very poor in the No. 10 role. Others have been tried in the same position, but chance creation is a major problem right now and, the untested Lopez and the more-effective-out-wide Iker Muniain aside, there isn't really another option for Valverde.
He went with two strikers against Eibar but as a result had a very weak supply line to them. Athletic didn't score in that match and repeated the trick against Real Madrid.
Reversing the Issues at Both Ends
Individually, Athletic's usual starting XI and handful of squad players are generally good, strong, reliable and technically sound. Here and there—Muniain, Gorka Iraizoz, Iturraspe—they have standout players, but similarly they have some who are a step below.
The full-back areas have been problematic this season.
Mikel Balenziaga hasn't been at his best, and Andoni Iraola looks to be seriously on the decline. By the end of this season he'll be one of the top four players of all time in terms of appearances for the club, but the 32-year-old's powers are waning. Oscar De Marcos played right-back against Real Madrid but was, in the nicest way possible, torn apart by Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo.
Who hasn't been this season?
De Marcos has his strengths, but he's a converted full-back at best, much more suited to the constant running in midfield roles than having to backtrack continually and hold a rigid line against the fastest transition attack in the game. He was caught out a number of times by the movement down Real's left, and in truth the score could have been worse than 5-0.
Between both full-backs and their respective central partners, Real fashioned chance after chance down the attacking channels.
At the other end, creativity is a major issue. The whole system is built on getting a supply line and support to Aritz Aduriz, but aside from Muniain there has not been anywhere near enough from Markel Susaeta, Ibai Gomez and the like this term, as well as Benat.
Whether the Champions League is the big distraction, players have become complacent in the team on account of no huge competition for places or simply that this group have achieved all they can and are running on empty right now, only more time will tell.
But Bilbao cannot afford much more time to start getting things right. Celta Vigo, Almeria, Sevilla and Valencia are their next four La Liga games, with FC Porto sandwiched twice in between in Europe. None of those matches will be easy, but last season Athletic thrived on the battle and the chase of the top four.
That mentality, that togetherness and, above all else, that quality needs to return sooner rather than later before the entire campaign fizzles out in depression and disappointment or, at the very worst possibility, only a desperate, bottom-of-the-table struggle is left to wage.
Why It Is Time for Ernesto Valverde to Hand Unai Lopez the Keys to the Midfield
Oct 2, 2014
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Unai Lopez of Athletic Club Bilbao controls the ball during the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Levante UD at San Mames Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Ander Herrera has left the building. The Basque midfielder exited the Basque Country during the summer to join Manchester United, and his former side Athletic Club Bilbao is still trying to recover from the loss.
While Herrera was not the most vital part of Athletic’s brilliant campaign last season, he was very important, and his exit has left a big hole in the midfield. The Basque club has struggled since the start of the season to find their form of last year, but they still lack what Herrera provided—a creative playmaker that is willing to work hard off the ball.
Of course, losing the 25-year-old was going to be tough. He is a world-class midfielder and was a big part of Ernesto Valverde’s scheme in Bilbao. However, his exit left an open door for Athletic youth stars to have their chance at the playmaker role.
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Unai Lopez of Athletic Club Bilbao duels for the ball with Ivan Lopez of Levante UD the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Levante UD at San Mames Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano
Starlets like Unai Lopez, Ager Aketxe and Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta (who is on loan at Real Zaragoza) are all attacking midfielders that thrive as playmakers and are just what Athletic needs to replace Herrera. However, the chances just aren't there right now.
So far, Valverde has relied heavily on Benat to take over where Herrera once played. No matter how hard he tries, though, he just isn’t the type of player who can succeed in that position.
Benat has been, and always will be, a deep-lying playmaker. He loves to sit in front of the defense and pull the strings with long passes. But that isn’t the type of game that is played at the San Mames.
Los Leones play a refined style of Basque football focused on constant pressure and outworking the opponent. Every player is asked to run a lot and be willing to defend all over the pitch.
Again, Benat’s strengths do not fit this idea. He tends to shy away from defending, and while he can make deadly passes, he doesn’t play fast enough to succeed as an attacking playmaker.
It isn’t Benat’s fault, mind you. His game just isn’t built for the playmaker role. He can certainly be a success playing in Athletic’s double pivot, but pushing higher up the pitch just isn’t going to do the job.
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Unai Lopez of Athletic Club Bilbao reacts during the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Levante UD at San Mames Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
That is where Unai Lopez comes in.
Lopez made the switch to Athletic’s youth academy, la cantera de Lezama, from Real Sociedad a few years ago and has been turning heads ever since. Though still only 18, he has the makings of a future star, and the time has come for Valverde to let him run the midfield.
The Basque midfielder is exactly what Athletic needs right now. He is quick and has the vision of a veteran midfielder. His passing ability always makes him standout on the pitch, but he is never afraid of getting dirty either.
Lopez is an explosive player who catches your eye every time he has the ball. His movement and ability to orchestrate play constantly causes problems for opponents, and he can also prove to be a threat himself when the opportunity arrives.
In truth, Lopez is a lot like Atletico Madrid product Oliver Torres. Both are rather short, but play with explosiveness and the ability to create chances out of thin air with their passing abilities. They are calm on the ball and much more mature than other players their age.
The 18-year-old has already made a name for himself in Spain’s youth ranks and it is only a matter of time before he becomes a star at the San Mames. Perhaps he should be given that chance now.
The Lezama product has featured in a few matches this season, being one of the best players on the pitch each time. He fits the system perfectly and is exactly what the team is lacking with Herrera gone. So why isn’t he seeing more time?
Valverde adores Unai Lopez and is grooming him for big things. Maybe that is why he is being cautious with playing time right now.
The answer may be his age. At just 18, and with so much potential, Valverde and the club may be trying to be cautious so as to not put too much pressure on him. Yet with the club in the form they are in now and Lopez’s ability to make a big difference, it may be time to throw caution to the wind.
The truth of the matter is that Unai Lopez is ready to take control of the playmaker position in Athletic’s lineup. He has all the tools needed to be a success for the first team and the time has come for Valverde to let him have the keys.
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Benat Etxebarria of Athletic Club Bilbao duels for the ball with Simao Mate of Levante UD the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Levante UD at San Mames Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel S
He may not be Ander Herrera, in fact he and the Manchester United man are very different players. To be fair, Lezama product Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, who is currently on loan at Real Zaragoza, is the closest thing Athletic have to another Herrera. But Lopez is the most overall talented midfielder at the club right now and needs to be given a fair chance to earn the starting role.
It is clear that the Benat experiment just isn’t working. He isn’t the right player for the job, but Lopez is the perfect fit for the current need. Something has got to change and quickly. It makes sense that the club wants to be careful with such a young gem, but sometimes age is just a number.
Losing Ander Herrera was a big blow for Athletic, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. Fans have been waiting a long time for the day that they would see Unai Lopez at the San Mames. He is the answer to the club's midfield problems and could be the player who helps the Basques continue their upward trend under Ernesto Valverde.
Should Unai Lopez start more for Athletic Club? Where does Benat fit in Valverde's squad? Leave your thoughts and comments below!
Athletic Bilbao's Ambitions Rising with Those of the Basque Region It Represents
Sep 16, 2014
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Ander Iturraspe of Athletic Club Bilbao celebrates after scoring during the La Liga match between Athletic Club and Levante UD at San Mames Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
The Basque country has two huge fixtures scheduled for this week, yet it is perhaps the one that does not involve the region's most prominent team that many residents will be watching with greater anxiety.
On Wednesday, the Basque capital Bilbao's top-flight side, Athletic Club, will return to the Champions League after a 16-year absence, as 50,000 fans descend on the breathtaking new San Mames stadium to see their side host Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk in the curtain-raiser of Group H.
It is another clash just hours later, however, that hundreds of thousands more will have their eye on. One day after Los Leones ("The Lions") re-introduce themselves to Europe’s biggest club competition, Scotland will go to the polls to decide whether they will secede from the rest of the United Kingdom.
It is a referendum with implications for a number of countries and their constituent regions throughout Europe; if Scotland votes "yes"—the latest polls seem to have the "no" vote only marginally ahead—then others in a similar situation might expect to be given the right to make a similar choice, the Basque country among them.
Perhaps in a sign of how significant they perceive the vote to be, this week one of the provincial Basque governments hung a Scottish flag from its chambers in a show of support for the Scottish decision.
Regional autonomy has long been a thorny—and often horribly violent—issue in Spain, with Scotland’s current circumstances drawing the discussion into sharp focus once more. It was perhaps an interesting coincidence, then, that Saturday's La Liga fixtures saw Bilbao come up against Barcelona, the capital of another region looking to separate from Spain, Catalonia.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 13: Neymar Santos Jr (L) of FC Barcelona competes for the ball with Oscar de Marcos of Athletic Club during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club at Camp Nou on September 13, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo
The Thursday prior to the game between the two sides, a demonstration in Barcelona commemorating the diada—Catalan National Day, the September date in 1714 where the state finally submitted to Spain—re-raised questions about the potential independence of a region that has always had a fraught relationship with the centre of power in Madrid.
Then on Saturday, despite the game being played at the Nou Camp, Barcelona played in their away strip, designed with the same red-and-yellow striping as the Catalan flag.
Athletic, meanwhile, also wore their away strip—a green, white and red number that is similarly based on the colours of the Basque flag.
The presence of both teams, playing in those colours, made it a political moment as much as a sporting one (the Spanish football federation approved the kit choices before the game)—especially considering events in the United Kingdom.
"Catalonia and Scotland have again put the issue of the peoples' right to decide on the political stage, showing that this is an open question in Europe," Pello Urizar, leader of one party in Basque government coalition, told the Financial Times (registration required) this week.
"Our future depends on breaking ties [with Spain].”
In Athletic, the Basque region has a perfect symbol for its growing optimism and ambition for its future.
Unlike another Basque side, Real Sociedad, who relaxed their own selection rules in the 1980s, Bilbao have an unwritten club policy that it will only sign and select players with Basque heritage (a written policy could presumably be challenged in the courts), making it—to co-opt a Catalan phrase—"mes que un club" for its supporters.
That restricts its options significantly—smaller than Scotland, the region has a population of just over three million—even if, in recent years, the club has occasionally relaxed its definition of "Basque heritage" to widen its talent pool slightly (the Venezuelan-born defender Fernando Amorebieta represented the club, for example, while in 2009 Jonas Ramalho, the son of an Angolan father and Basque mother, became its first-ever black player).
By and large, that means the club lives and dies by the talent it produces from its youth academy. Of the current squad, almost every single one of the main contributors came through the ranks at the club's Lezama base, even if, in the likes of Aritz Aduriz and Benat Etxeberria, some had to leave for new pastures before their boyhood club realised what they could offer and bought them back.
The smaller talent pool available to the club means more money is poured into its youth resources—with so few players available to buy, what is the point of maintaining a sizeable transfer budget?—but equally it means replacing lost jewels is an almost impossible task.
In that light, it is not hard to see why Bilbao were so reluctant to let Ander Herrera leave for Manchester United in the summer; the 25-year-old ultimately paying compensation to his boyhood club in order to join the Premier League side.
It works both ways, however; the setup engenders a remarkable amount of loyalty and passion among its players for a club that has gone 37 years without a European trophy.
I would never have left Athletic if it hadn’t been for a club like United. I left a different, unique club, with a special philosophy and incredible people.
It’s a club that few of us have had the privilege of playing for and, who knows, but for United I might have been there 10 years.
Herrera left plenty behind. Bilbao have always produced talent—along with Real Madrid and Barcelona, they are the only club never to be relegated from La Liga—but the young players alongside whom Herrera undertook his footballing education have long had high hopes attached to their collective careers.
Losing Herrera was a blow, but in the likes of Ander Iturraspe, Iker Muniain, Aymeric Laporte, Oscar de Marcos and Ibai Gomez, the club nevertheless has a core of young, talented players who are passionate about the club they represent and eager to bring success.
The arrival of Marcelo Bielsa, a tactical maverick if ever there was one, in 2011 perhaps saw the club's tactical approach begin to finally tap into the full potential of the talent it was producing.
For a while, it seemed to be the perfect marriage of a club with its own unique identity and a manager with a similarly idiosyncratic approach—witness the club's home-and-away beating of Manchester United in that season's Europa League, on their way to defeat in the final—but the volatile Chilean (the Basque-only policy does not extend to coaches, it seems) has never been a man to remain at one club for too long.
Ernesto Valverde returned for his second spell at the club as Bielsa's replacement in 2013, building on that solid foundation and guiding the club to fourth in La Liga last season.
That rewarded them with a play-off tie in the Champions League, as the club beat Napoli 3-1 at the newly opened San Mames to return to the Champions League for the first time since the 1998-1999 campaign.
BILBAO, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Head coach Ernesto Valverde of Athletic Club Bilbao looks on prior to the start the la Liga match between Athletic Club and Levante UD at San Mames Stadium on August 30, 2014 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arc
After the crowd propelled their side into the group stages (they were 1-0 down, and 2-1 on aggregate, before Aduriz's second half double), home form could be the bedrock on which Athletic bid to reach the knockout stages for the first time since the competition adopted a group format.
"We have to be strong at home, as we were last season in the League, that was one of the reasons we are here in the first place," perhaps the club’s brightest current talent, attacker Muniain, said this week.
"It is always good to start at home. It helps you get the first three points, which are vital."
With Porto and BATE Borisov completing Group H, on paper the Spanish side have a great opportunity to reach the last 16 and, who knows, go even further than that.
The quality of the current Bilbao side was on show at the Nou Camp, as Valverde's side resolutely refused to opt for the defensive tactics that Lionel Messi et al have come to expect from visiting sides.
But in their Basque colours, the visitors pushed forward incisively and often, although they were eventually undone by two late goals from substitute Neymar.
"I saw the game at Camp Nou," former Tottenham and Real Madrid manager Juande Ramos told Spanish newspaper AS this week. "They were very brave.
"Athletic's football will suit the Champions League. Valverde is doing a good job."
The decision on Scotland's future, if it goes the way the Basques are hoping, could eventually lead to thorny issues surrounding Athletic Club's participation in European football—or even Spanish football.
For now, however, the club could be poised to put the region firmly on football's map.
Athletic Club Bilbao: Why Borja Viguera Was the Perfect Signing for Los Leones
Jun 17, 2014
BILBAO, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 16: Aritz Aduriz of Athletic Club looks on during the La Liga match between Athletic Club and RC Celta de Vigo at San Mames Stadium on September 16, 2013 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Following one of the best seasons in club history, Athletic Club Bilbao have been hard at work this summer preparing the squad for Champions League play. While several players have signed new deals, its newcomer Borja Viguera that could make the most noise.
Athletic recently confirmed that they had signed Viguera from Basque neighbors Alaves, paying the striker's buy-out clause of €1 million, via Inside Spanish Football. Despite his very low fee, Viguera has been demanding attention in the second division all year.
The striker from Logrono moved to Real Sociedad when he was just 16, though he was never able to make his mark on the first team. Two loan deals and a major injury later, Viguera found himself rejuvenated at Alaves.
As Viguera stated during his presentation for Athletic (H/T Inside Spanish Football), fighting to come back from a serious injury has made him more mature and focused, and it definitely shows on the pitch.
During his two seasons at Alaves, Viguera scored over 40 goals and led the second division in scoring this season with 25 strikes. He has a silky touch, an eye for the goal and is a pure finisher who is able to put the ball in the back of the net in a variety of ways.
Viguera could be the answer to Athletic's prayers, because ever since Fernando Llorente left the club, it has been clear that it's in need of a new striker. That isn't to say that Viguera is at Llorente's level, just that he can fill the scoring role left behind.
Aritz Aduriz has been spectacular since returning to his boyhood club in 2012, but the club can't ignore that he is 33 and has been struggling with groin problems for over a year now. It might be working out well for now, but Aduriz can't lead the line for much longer.
Groin problems became such an issue this season that Aduriz underwent surgery when the campaign was over. The time of passing the torch to someone else is rapidly approaching for the aging striker.
Looking through the rest of the strikers in the squad, it's quite clear that Athletic needed help.
Kike Sola may have been a promising signing from Osasuna last summer, but injuries have kept him from seeing regular minutes. Even if Sola had remained healthy, there's little to suggest that he would have the quality to lead the Athletic attack.
Aduriz needs help carrying the scoring load
Gaizka Toquero was able to enjoy good minutes up front this year, but the 29-year-old has now gone two seasons without a league goal. The only striker left in the squad is 21-year-old Guillermo who just recently debuted.
Things get much better when looking at upcoming youth stars who are currently turning heads at Lezama.
Inaki Williams (19), Asier Villalibre (16) and Inigo Vicente (16) all are touted to be first-team stars, but their a long way off from making any real impact.
Clearly, Los Leones were in desperate need of a new striker. With immense talent throughout the squad, the team is missing a deadly scorer to fill out the lineup.
The club was in need of someone who could not only push Aduriz for the starting role, but someone who could also take the reigns in the future until younger stars are ready to make their mark.
When next season begins Aduriz will still be the unquestioned starter. However, Viguera will likely be handed the back-up role immediately and will be given every chance to find success in the first division.
With Athletic now competing in three different tournaments, having a player who can truly push and stand in for Aduriz is essential. The 33-year-old no longer has to carry the burden alone and there's reason to believe that Viguera could feature in the starting XI quite often this year.
It's always difficult to gauge whether or not a second-division player can be successful. Yet, Viguera fits Athletic perfectly and could even be the missing piece to the puzzle.
Viguera is known for tracking back to help on defense, something Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde loves, while also being a clinical finisher. With the talent that will be surrounding him, the 27-year-old will have a lot of chances to show why he was one of the most feared strikers in the Segunda the last two years.
A quick look at his goals from last season and it is clear that Viguera can do it all in front of goal. With the talent to clean up chances and create his own, Athletic may have just added the weapon they have been missing, and for a mere €1 million.
At 27, Viguera is in the peak of his career. He is also a very hungry player determined to show that he belongs in the first division. That kind of drive and passion could be the difference-maker in Athletic's quest for silverware next season.
