Athletic Club (women)

Athletic Club Femenino is the women's football section of Athletic Bilbao, competing in Liga F. Athletic is one of the most successful women's teams in Spain, with five championships. Just as with the men's team, their official policy is to sign players native to or trained in football in the greater Basque Country.^[1] The team plays at the club's facilities in Lezama on the outskirts of Bilbao.

Athletic Femenino

Full name	Athletic Club Femenino
Nickname(s)	Las Leonas (The Lionesses) Neskak (Girls) Rojiblancas (Red-Whites)
Founded	2002; 23 years ago (2002)
Ground	Lezama (Field 2), Biscay, Spain
Capacity	3,250
President	Aitor Elizegi
Head coach	Iraia Iturregi
League	Liga F
2023–24	5th
Website	https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/teams/athletic-club-women/2019-20
Home colours Away colours

History

The team was founded in 2000 as Leioa EFT after CD Sondika disbanded its women's team, which had played in the defunct División de Honor in the 1990s. After Leioa gained promotion to the new Superliga Femenina in just two years, it was absorbed by Athletic Bilbao, with the process coordinated by Ernesto Valverde and Andoni Zubizarreta.^[2] At that time a reserve team, Athletic B, was also introduced – they currently compete in the second tier, the Primera Federación.^[3]

In their debut season Athletic won the championship, and successfully defended the title in the next two seasons, becoming the first team to be awarded the trophy to keep permanently.^[4] After a disappointing 2006 season, Athletic won its fourth title in 2007. As a result of their title wins they made four appearances in the UEFA Women's Cup, being knocked out in the group stages by 1. FFC Frankfurt in 2004, Djurgårdens IF in 2005, SV Saestum in 2006 and ASDCF Bardolino in 2008.

Aerial view of the team's mini-stadium at Lezama, 2019

In June 2008, the club agreed a decision (which was ratified in 2009) for the women's team to become an official women's section rather than be handled like a youth team.^[5] Athletic finished third in the next four championships between 2008 and 2011. In 2012 they were runners-up, and reached the Copa de la Reina final for the first time, losing to RCD Espanyol after extra time.^[6] On 5 January 2013, the team celebrated its tenth anniversary, beating Arsenal LFC in a friendly match. They were cup runners-up again in 2014, this time losing on penalties to FC Barcelona, having finished second behind the same club in the league.

On 5 June 2016, Athletic won its fifth league title, nine years after its last success.^[7] They competed in the UEFA Women's Champions League the following season, where they were eliminated by Danish champions Fortuna Hjorring in the Round of 32.

In June 2017, the club announced they would introduce a second reserve team for the coming season, made up of girls aged 13 to 15.^[8] Later that year, a club proposal to enter another girls team (12/13 years) into a local boys' youth league was rejected by the provincial council.^[9]

In January 2019, the club broke the European record for attendance at a women's football match with 48,121 spectators at San Mamés for a Copa de la Reina quarter-final fixture, a 2–0 loss to Atlético Madrid.^[10][11] (however, it only stood for a few months until Barcelona played Atlético in front of a 60,739 crowd).^[12] That match was the 14th played by the women's team in the two versions of the club's main stadium since the first in 2003, with three more played there during the next year.^[13]

Season to season

Main article: List of Athletic Bilbao Femenino seasons

As Leioa EFT

Season	Division	Place	Copa de la Reina[14]
2000–01	Reg.	1st[15]	N/A
2001–02	1ª Nac.	1st[16][17]	N/A

As Athletic Bilbao

Season	Division	Place	Copa de la Reina[18]
2002–03	1ª	1st	Quarterfinals
2003–04	1ª	1st	Semifinals
2004–05	1ª	1st	Quarterfinals
2005–06	1ª	5th	Quarterfinals
2006–07	1ª	1st	Quarterfinals
2007–08	1ª	3rd	Quarterfinals
2008–09	1ª	3rd	Quarterfinals
2009–10	1ª	3rd	Quarterfinals
2010–11	1ª	3rd	Quarterfinals
2011–12	1ª	2nd	Runner-up[19]
2012–13	1ª	2nd	Quarterfinals
2013–14	1ª	2nd	Runner-up[20]
2014–15	1ª	3rd	Quarterfinals
2015–16	1ª	1st	Quarterfinals
2016–17	1ª	5th	Quarterfinals
2017–18	1ª	3rd	Semifinals
2018–19	1ª	5th	Quarterfinals
2019–20	1ª	5th	Semifinals
2020–21	1ª	11th	Did not enter
2021–22	1ª	7th	Round of 16
2022–23	1ª	10th	Semifinals

Honours

Titles

Athletic players celebrating the team's fourth championship on 6 May 2007 at San Mamés.

Official competitions

• Primera División (5): 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2015–16
• Euskal Herria Cup (9): 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023

Invitational competitions

• Sport Mundi Tournament (4): 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012
• COTIF: 2015
• Teresa Herrera Trophy: 2017, 2018
• Ramón de Carranza Trophy: 2019^[21]

UEFA competition record

See also: Spanish women's football clubs in international competitions § Athletic Bilbao

Season	Competition	Stage	Result	Opponent	Scorers
2003–04 0 0	Women's Cup 0 0	Group stage 0 0	2–0 5–2 1–8	Neulengbach 1º Dezembro Frankfurt	Castrillo, Fernández Iturregi 2, Angulo, Ferreira, Ibarra Juaristi
2004–05 0 0	Women's Cup 0 0	Qualifying stage 0 0	10–3 1–1 5–0	Newtownabbey Strikers Maccabi Holon Clujana	Sánchez 2, Fernández, Ferreira, Iturregi, Onaindia, Orueta, Vázquez, Zabala + 1 o.g. Juaristi Fernández 2, Vázquez 2, Orueta
		Group stage 0 0	2–2 2–3 5–1	Arsenal Djurgården/Älvsjö Aegina	Iturregi, Vázquez Ferreira, Olabarrieta Vázquez, Fernández, Ibarra, Murua
2005–06 0 0	Women's Cup 0 0	Qualifying stage 0 0	6–2 3–0 1–1	Glasgow City Rapide Wezemaal Saestum	Vázquez 3, Fernández, Gurrutxaga, Juaristi Fernández, Juaristi, Orueta Fernández
2007–08 0 0	Women's Cup 0 0	Qualifying stage 0 0	4–0 16–0 0–1	Krka Novo Mesto Birkirkara Bardolino	Díez, Ferreira, Murua, Vázquez Vázquez 7, Juaristi 3, Olabarrieta 2, Díez, Iturregi, Murua, Sánchez 0
2016–17 0 0	Women's Champions League 0 0	Round of 32 0 0	2–1 1–3 (a.e.t.)	Fortuna Hjørring	Corres, Oroz Vázquez 0

Players

Current squad

As of 26 October 2024^[22] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ESP Mariasun Quiñones 2 DF  ESP Maddi Torre 3 DF  ESP Naia Landaluze 4 MF  ESP Marta Unzué 5 MF  ESP Maite Valero 6 MF  ESP Irene Oguiza (captain) 7 FW  ESP Nahikari García 8 MF  ESP Itxaso Uriarte 9 FW  ESP Sanadri 10 MF  ESP Mariana Cerro 11 FW  ESP Ane Azkona 12 DF  ESP Garazi Fácila 13 GK  ESP Adriana Nanclares

No. Pos. Nation Player 14 MF  ESP Leire Baños 15 MF  ESP Clara Pinedo 16 MF  ESP Maite Zubieta 17 MF  ESP Nerea Nevado 18 FW  ESP Sara Ortega 19 FW  ESP Jone Amezaga 20 DF  ESP Ane Elexpuru 21 DF  GER Bibiane Schulze-Solano 22 FW  ESP Peke Barea 23 FW  ESP Patri Zugasti 24 DF  ESP Itsaso Miranda

Out on Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Reserve team

Main article: Athletic Club Femenino B

Former players

For details of current and former players, see Category:Athletic Club (women) players.

See also

• Athletic–Barcelona rivalry
• Women's Basque derby

References

1. A new Cathedral: Athletic Club’s move to a new San Mamés, Simon Lloyd, Joe.co.uk
2. Gil, Aimara G. (6 October 2022). "Hace 20 años del primer Athletic femenino" [20 years since the first Athletic women]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 December 2023.
3. "Athletic Club B – players 2016–17". official website. Athletic Bilbao. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
4. A historic triple. El Mundo Deportivo, 18 April 2005
5. Río, Endika (9 October 2009). "El club planteará una subida de cuotas del 2.6%". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). p. 8.
6. Mari Paz dresses as a queen to give Espanyol its sixth Cup. Marca, 10 June 2012
7. "El Athletic se proclama campeón de la Primera División Femenina" (in Spanish). LaLiga. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
8. "Third ladies' team for Athletic". official website. Athletic Bilbao. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
9. Alega falta de tiempo y de consenso con las demás escuadras femeninas para hacer una excepción con este grupo formado por niñas de 12 y 13 años (The Delegation prevents Athletic from including a team of girls in the men's league), El Correo (in Spanish), 13 October 2017
10. "Despite the defeat, attendance record in San Mamés". Athletic Bilbao. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
11. "Récord del fútbol femenino español: 48.121 espectadores en San Mamés" [Record for Spanish women's football: 48,121 spectators at San Mamés]. El Mundo. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
12. "Record crowd watches Barcelona Women beat Atlético Madrid 2-0". BBC Sport. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
13. 17 years since the first Athletic women’s match at San Mamés, Athletic Bilbao, 30 March 2020
14. "Ladies - Cup 2016-17 (other seasons can be selected)". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
15. "Territorial Vizcaína Femenina 2000–01" (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
16. "Primera Nacional Femenina (Grupo 1) 2001–02" (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
17. "Fase de ascenso a Superliga (Grupo 2) 2001–02" (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
18. "Ladies - Cup 2016-17 (other seasons can be selected)". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
19. Laura Marta (11 June 2012). "El Español [sic] conquista su sexta Copa de la Reina al ganar 2-1 al Athletic" [Espanyol wins its sixth Copa de la Reina by beating Athletic 2-1]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
20. David Menayo (21 June 2014). "Los penaltis coronan al Barcelona como campeonas de Copa" [Penalties see Barcelona crowned as Cup winners]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 January 2019.
21. Champions of the Carranza, Athletic Bilbao, 15 August 2019
22. "Athletic Club Women | Team 2022-23". Athletic Club. Retrieved 19 September 2022.

External links

• UEFA profile
• Athletic Club at Txapeldunak
• From official website:
  • Team history
  • Appearances
  • Goalscorers
  • A-Z of players
  • Debuts