Athletic Club Bilbao was one of the first football clubs in Spain, formed in 1898 by British migrant workers and young Basques who had studied in England. The club has always been strongly rooted in Basque culture and values and has explicitly recognised the importance of locality in its Principles of Origins.
The club embodied these principles by developing a unique sporting philosophy, governed by a code which states that “Athletic Club Bilbao may only field players who have come through its own academy or the academies of other clubs in the Basque Country, or players who were born in the following territories which constitute the Basque Country: Biscay, Gipuzkoa, Alava, Navarre, Labourd, Soule and Lower Navarre.”
By prioritizing local talent from its own Lezama academy and neighbouring Basque clubs, Athletic proves that a commitment to locality and culture can coexist with elite performance. They remain one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga, evidencing the power of a shared identity.
Uniquely also, in a rare act of non-partisan celebration, Athletic Club Bilbao has a “One Club Award”, honouring footballers from any team who have dedicated their entire professional careers to a single club. By recognizing legends like Matthew Le Tissier, Paolo Maldini, and Malin Moström, Athletic champions the virtues of loyalty, responsibility, and service.
Athletic’s commitment to locality mirrors the principles of cosmopolitan peacebuilding, relying on the contextualization of global frameworks through local action and community ownership. An example is the approach for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda (the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals), which Athletic recognises and supports. As a Partner for the Goals (SDG 17), the club extends its influence to global ethics, aligning its operations with the global agreement to promote environmental sustainability, peace, justice, and security.
Watch this TIFO video on Bilbao's 'One Club Award' and the values and ethics of the club:
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