Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad: Three uncommon things about Basque Derby

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Athletic Club de Bilbao will lock horns against Real Sociedad in the Basque Derby on Saturday (January 13).

The fearsome rivalry between these two Spanish clubs can have a palpable effect on the points table. Bilbao currently sit 4th in the table whereas Real Sociedad are 6th. Six points separate these two rivals and Saturday's result can either broaden the gap or can halve the deficit.

Although the Madrid derby, El Clasico are the flagship matches craved in La Liga, this prestigious Basque derby also holds a special place in the folklore of the football in Spain. The very fabric of Spanish football is rich with some great rivalries, and the Basque Country derby is undoubtedly one of them.

The derby is played between two proud clubs from the Basque region. And Athletic Bilbao are also the only club in the top five European leagues who have a distinct policy. Bilbao only allows players who are born in the Basque Country or who learned their football at a Basque club.

Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad: Three things to know about Basque Derby

A clash of Champions in the 1980s

In the early 1980s, Basque football was at its zenith, with Real Sociedad and Athletic Club vying for supremacy in the La Liga. Real Sociedad clinched the league championship in consecutive seasons during 1980/81 and 1981/82, only for Athletic Club to respond by winning the crown in the subsequent two campaigns.

Remarkably, both teams secured one of their league titles by triumphing in the derby. An epic clash on the final day of the 1981/82 season saw La Real edge out Athletic Club 2-1, thereby snatching the title away from FC Barcelona.

Two years later, Athletic Club mirrored this feat with a 2-1 victory in the same fixture, ensuring the title headed to Bilbao instead of Real Madrid.

Legends of the Basque Derby

The derby's storied past features a roster of iconic players. Athletic Club, with its policy of fielding only athletes of Basque heritage, has showcased legends like goal machine Telmo Zarra and the gifted playmaker Julen Guerrero. More recently, the spotlight shines on Inaki Williams, holder of La Liga's consecutive matches record, his brother Nico Williams, the indefatigable captain Iker Muniain, and the dependable Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon.

Real Sociedad, once adherents to a similar Basque-only policy, made waves by signing Liverpool's John Aldridge in the late 1980s. While Darko Kovacevic and Nihat Kahveci have previously led the line for La Real, the current squad boasts the talents of Spaniards Mikel Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino, alongside international stars like Take Kubo and Umar Sadiq.

A Historic Copa del Rey Final

For years, Athletic Club had been the dominant force in Copa del Rey encounters against La Real, winning all three matchups before 2021. Their victories spanned from a 5-1 aggregate triumph in the 1960/61 last 16, a 3-1 aggregate win in the 1971/72 quarter-finals, to a nail-biting penalty shootout victory in 1974/75 after a 4-4 draw.

However, 2021 marked a turning point when Real Sociedad finally overcame their rivals in the 2020 Copa del Rey final, delayed due to the COVID crisis. A solitary goal from Mikel Oyarzabal was all it took to claim their first trophy in 34 years, in what was undoubtedly a moment of sweet retribution for La Real.