ATHLETIC BILBAO

Founded: 1898
Adsress : Alameda Mazzarredo, 23 48900 Bilbao.
Stadium : San Mames (46 500 places)
Honours :
Spanish Champions : 1930, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1943, 1956, 1983, 1984.
Cup Winners : 23 times between 1903 & 1984.
Budget : 199 MF
Average home gate : 28440 (season 98-99).
Intenet Site : www.euskal.com/athletic/

Unlike other teams in the Spanish championship, Athletic Bilbao will only play players born in the Basque region. With fanatical support, only Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia and Betis Seville have bigger gates. Last season the Basques finished eighth in the league

SQUAD :

Goalkeepers : Daniel Aranzubia, Egana Imanol Atxeberria, Ignacio Lafuente.
Defence : Rafaël Alkorta, Fernandez de la Héra César, Aldanondo Felipe Guerendez, Francisce "Patxi" Ferreira, Garcia Carlos Garcia, José Maria Lacruz, Altor Larrazabal, Inigo Larrinzar, Mickel Lasa, Patus Roberto Rios, Varela Oskar Vales.
Midfield : Bittor Alkiza, Eduardo "Edu" Alonso, Julen Guerreo, Garcia José Mari, Andoni Imaz, Javier "Javi" Gonzalez, Pablo Orbaiz, Iker Urraka, Josu Urrutia, Francisco Javier Yeste.
Attack : José Ant. Pérez "Bolo", Joseba Etxeberra, Santiago Ezquerro, Arturo Igoron Sivori, Ismael Urzaiz.

Two Bilbao players were selected by national boss José Antonio Camacho to meet Poland at the end of January - Joseba Etxeberria & Urzaiz. The latter played for over an hour and scored two goals in a 3-0 victory.

Julen GUERRERO, born 7/1/74, midfield. Despite receiving propositions from other bigger clubs, Julen Guerrero remains loyal to Bilbao. Julen is the darling of the female Bilbao supporters !

LUIS FERNANDEZ

Born 2/10/59 in Tarifa (Spain)
Clubs : Paris SG (78-86), Racing Paris 1 (86-87), Matra Racing (87-89), Cannes (89-93).
Champion of France 85-86
Coupe de France : 1982, 1983
60 caps, 3rd place in World Cup '86, European Champion 1984
Coaching career : Cannes (promoted to D1, qualification for the UEFA Cup), Paris SG (Coupe de France & Coupe de la Ligue 1995, Cup Winners' Cup 1996) Athletic Bilbao since 96-97, 2nd in championship 97-98. Luis Fernandez recently extended his contract until June 2001.