It has been a long 10-year wait since the Lions participated in the group stage of the 2014-15 season of this tournament, in which the team finished third, narrowly missing out on the playoffs.
History of Athletic Club in the UEFA Champions League
Athletic Club is no stranger to this competition. The zurigorri (red-&-white) club has left its mark on several editions, always with its combative spirit and ‘unique in the world’ attitude.
Here is a review of its historic appearances in the UEFA Champions League, a legacy that fills us with pride!
1956-57:We reached the quarter-finals in our continental debut after winning LaLiga. We were eliminated by Bobby Charlton’s legendary Manchester United (4-3 on aggregate). In the first leg at San Mamés, the red-&-white team won 5-3 (two goals from Uribe, Markaida, Merodio and Artetxe), but the English side went through to the next round by winning at home (3-0).
1983/84: Another English side, this time Liverpool, knocked us out in the round of 16, with a goalless draw at Anfield and a 0-1 win at San Mamés.
1984-85: Athletic Club played in the European Cup again after winning LaLiga. On this occasion, Girondins de Bordeaux prevented us from progressing in the competition, beating the zurigorri team in the first round by winning 3-2 at Parc Lescure and drawing 0-0 at San Mamés.
1998-99: We were knocked out in the group stage in our debut in the modern era of the Champions League after finishing in an amazing second place in LaLiga. We beat Dinamo Tbilisi in the preliminary round and competed in a tough group with Juventus, Galatasaray and Rosenborg. We finished third.
2014-15: We were eliminated in the group stage. We finished third in a group that included the Lions, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Bate Borisov.
In total, until this year we had previously made six appearances in Europe’s premier football competition.
San Mamés: The Cathedral of the Champions League
Athletic’s return to the Champions League also means the return of magical nights at San Mamés, a stadium renowned for its architecture and famous for its unrivalled atmosphere.
The fans are hungry for the UEFA Champions League and eager to push the red-&-white team to achieve great things in Europe’s top competition.
If you want to accompany the team at The Cathedral, get your ticket and don’t miss the unique atmosphere of the big games at San Mamés.
