What are Athletic Bilbao’s team eligibility rules?

Athletic Bilbao have an unusual club tradition: only signing and fielding players from the Basque Country – a region covering part of Spain and France.

Athletic, based in the Spanish city of Bilbao, are renowned for their policy of promoting young Basque players through their academy, known as the Cantera policy.

In place since 1912, the policy only applies to players, with members of the club’s staff being permitted to be employed without being from or linked to the Basque Country.

The club’s website states that “Athletic Club may only field players who have come through its own academy or the academies of the other clubs in the Basque Country, or players who were born in the following territories which constitute the Basque Country; Bisay, Gipyzkoa, Alava, Navarre, Labourd, Soule and Lower Navarre.”

This policy is also adhered to by the club’s women’s team.

The policy was also used by arch-rivals Real Sociedad until 1989, ending only with the signing Republic of Ireland striker John Aldridge.

Of Athletic’s senior squad, just three players are not listed as representing Spain internationally. Inaki Williams (Ghana), Maroan Sannadi (Morocco) and Alex Padilla (Mexico) were all born in the Basque country.

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