The strongest opponent awaits Slàvist. A team gathered according to a special rule – List of Messages

Not only strong felines with sharp claws, but also proud pets. This is typical of a club that has won eight times The Ligu (however, the last victory has been gathering dust for 40 years), and twenty-four times the King’s Cup, with the most recent capture quite recent. This year.

Athletic (clearly written in English) believes that only local players, the Basques, can wear the jersey. “But also the Pamplones, ie most of the natives of the city of Pamplona from the province of Navarra, who belong to the Basque region in general,” said Spanish journalist Juan Castro of the daily Marca. “But the Basques are the biggest majority,” he confirms the well-known fact.

Anyone who does not belong to the area between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic, which also includes part of the south of France, cannot play for Bilbao.

Czech legionnaire Radek Bejbl also noted how special the club was during his four-year stint with Atlético Madrid in 1996-2000. “Very unique and original,” he agrees. “National pride comes from it,” he affirms.

However, this also brings responsibilities. “The position that only ethnic Basques can wear their jerseys includes in them a remarkable tenacity and fight, a responsibility towards the whole region,” said the 1996 European vice-president in particular in praise of the education system. It is mentioned.

Although the Basque community is not large and has a population of just over two million, the power of Basque football is truly amazing. “Four excellent clubs in the highest Spanish competition, in La Liga,” reminds Bejbl. “Bilbao, San Sebastián, Alavés and Pamplona,” he guesses, adding Navarre as well.

It is not surprising that there were eight players from Basque clubs in the squad of this year’s European champions. Including the stop “French” Robin Le Normand, because those from the north of the Pyrenees are also counted among the proud country. After all, his compatriot Aymeric Laporte also went through Bilbao.

Athletic Bilbao also had a great impact on the history of the Spanish La Liga, founded in 1929. It claimed eight titles (Real Sociedad San Sebastián two), but above all it provided two shooting legends inevitable.

The striker Telmo Zarra ran in the white and red striped jersey suddenly between 1940 and 1955 (251 league goals) and in his honor Marca presents a trophy for the winner of the Spanish nationality in his honor. “He has a great reputation,” confirms journalist Castro.

Even more is the Trofeo Pichichi, which is intended for the king of the gunners, so even foreigners can fight for it. It refers to an exceptional person such as Rafael Moreno Aranzadi (he worked for the club in the pre-league period from 1911-1921) who had this fighting nickname. “When I came to Atlético, I immediately asked myself what it meant, because it was always written about,” recalls Bejbl.

She accompanied him while he was engaged in Madrid. “My teammates pushed hard for her. The Italian shooter Christian Vieri won it in 1997/1998 for 24 goals, the same number was scored two years later by the Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, but he finished second,” he looked carefully at the performance shoot his colleagues.

However, a look at the current A team roster appears to conflict with the nationality requirement rule. Goalkeeper Álex Padilla represents Mexico, and even captain Iñaki Williams, who plays internationally for Ghana in Africa, should be considered a foreign legionnaire.

Wrong, they both have excellent origins.

The 20-year-old goalkeeper was born in the city of Zarautz. He also has Mexican roots, his mother Armida Pérez Talamentesová comes from the state of Chihuahua, from the city of Ciudad Camargo. However, Father Iñaki does not deny the Basque blood. Padilla represented Spain in his youth, but in the end he decided to play in the A team for his mother country.

As the coach Ernesto Valverde lost his two main goalkeepers, Unai Simón, who was the main point of the European champions team from the German championship this year, and his substitute Julen Agirrezabala due to injury , Padilla climbed to the number one position at the club. at the start of the competition.

However, Agirrezabala is now fit and available for the game with Slavia.

Striker Iñaki Williams reports directly to Bilbao on his birth certificate. His parents are from Ghana, they arrived in Spain on foot across the Sahara, jumping over the border fence in the city of Melilla, which is located on the African continent.

He spent most of his youth in Pamplona and played for the CD club, returning to Bilbao in 2013 at the age of 19 already as a professional player with a good goal performance.

Coach wards Jindrich Trpišovský presented at the San Mamés stadium, which is only recommended, it is an iconic building. “I only know the old one, which stood in the same place,” said Bejbl about the detailed reconstruction in 2013. Actually, it was a completely new one.

He did not personally visit the Czech legionnaire, but he heard a lot about him and saw him at La Liga games, which he watches carefully on TV. Find “Pecka,” the exact phrase. “It must be nice to play on it,” he envies his Slavist followers. “However, it is very unpleasant for the guests,” he can sympathize with the feelings of the team, which the stands do not like.

He believes that the Basque derby between Bilbao and San Sebastián is a literal football sport. “This must be an unforgettable experience,” he dreams at the thought. “Climax,” adds another symbol.

Signs in the third round of the Europa League, a technically capable and morally advanced opponent awaits. “It will be a football holiday, both teams are going in well,” Bejbl celebrates Bilbao’s 4-1 victory over Espanyol Barcelona in the last match of the Spanish league , in which captain Iñaki Williams scored two goals and European champion Daniel Vivian scored one.

A former Czech national team player is once again going through the charts. “Bilbao has strong personalities,” he said, referring to this year’s European Championship, where the Basque club had a wide presence.

There is no need to fear his Slavia, with whom he won the championship in 1995/1996 and made it all the way to the UEFA Cup semi-finals as a strong member of the starting line-up. “She’s not without a chance,” Bejbl says of her choices. “However, there is no favourite,” he explains. “The team is more of a home team,” he insists. on good care and responsible performance.