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 nameAthletic Club Femenino
Nickname(s)Las Leonas
(The Lionesses)
Neskak
(Girls)
Rojiblancas
(Red-Whites)
Founded2002 (2002)
GroundLezama (Field 2),
Biscay, Spain
Capacity3,250
PresidentAitor Elizegi
Head coachIraia Iturregi
LeagueLiga F
2022–23Primera División, 9th
WebsiteClub website

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. At that time a reserve team, Athletic B, was also introduced – they currently compete in the second tier, the Primera Federación.[2]

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.[3] 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

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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8][9] (however, it only stood for a few months until Barcelona played Atlético in front of a 60,739 crowd).[10] 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.[11]

Season to season
Main article: List of Athletic Bilbao Femenino seasons

As Leioa EFT
Season Division Place Copa de la Reina[12]
2000–01 Reg. 1st[13] N/A
2001–02 1ª Nac. 1st[14][15] N/A

As Athletic Bilbao
Season Division Place Copa de la Reina[16]
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[17]
2012–13 1ª 2nd Quarterfinals
2013–14 1ª 2nd Runner-up[18]
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

Invitational competitions

UEFA competition record
See also: Spanish women's football clubs in international competitions § Athletic Bilbao
SeasonCompetitionStageResultOpponentScorers
2003–04
0
0		Women's Cup
0
0		Group stage
0
0		2–0
5–2
1–8		Austria Neulengbach
Portugal 1º Dezembro
Germany 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		Northern Ireland Newtownabbey Strikers
Israel Maccabi Holon
Romania 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		England Arsenal
Sweden Djurgården/Älvsjö
Greece 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		Scotland Glasgow City
Belgium Rapide Wezemaal
Netherlands 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		Slovenia Krka Novo Mesto
Malta Birkirkara
Italy 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.)		Denmark Fortuna HjørringCorres, Oroz
Vázquez
0

Players

Current squad

As of 3 October 2023[20] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Spain ESP Mariasun Quiñones
2 DF Spain ESP Maddi Torre
3 DF Spain ESP Naia Landaluze
4 DF Spain ESP Garazi
5 DF Spain ESP Naroa
6 MF Spain ESP Irene Oguiza
7 FW Spain ESP Nahikari García
8 MF Spain ESP Marta Unzué
9 FW Spain ESP Yulema Corres
10 FW Spain ESP Paula Arana
11 FW Spain ESP Ane Azkona
12 DF Spain ESP Gara
13 GK Spain ESP Adriana Nanclares
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF Spain ESP Eunate
15 MF Spain ESP Clara Pinedo
16 MF Spain ESP Maite Zubieta
17 MF Spain ESP Nerea Nevado
18 MF Spain ESP Itxaso
19 MF Spain ESP Mariana
20 DF Spain ESP Ane Elexpuru
21 DF Spain ESP Bibiane Schulze
22 FW Spain ESP Peke
23 FW Spain ESP Patricia Zugasti
24 FW Spain ESP Sanadri
27 FW Spain ESP Sara Ortega
31 FW Spain ESP Jone Amezaga

Out on Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. 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

References
  1. A new Cathedral: Athletic Club’s move to a new San Mamés, Simon Lloyd, Joe.co.uk
  2. "Athletic Club B – players 2016–17". official website. Athletic Bilbao. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  3. A historic triple. El Mundo Deportivo, 18 April 2005
  4. Mari Paz dresses as a queen to give Espanyol its sixth Cup. Marca, 10 June 2012
  5. "El Athletic se proclama campeón de la Primera División Femenina" (in Spanish). LaLiga. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  6. "Third ladies' team for Athletic". official website. Athletic Bilbao. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  7. 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
  8. "Despite the defeat, attendance record in San Mamés". Athletic Bilbao. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  9. "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.
  10. "Record crowd watches Barcelona Women beat Atlético Madrid 2-0". BBC Sport. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  11. 17 years since the first Athletic women’s match at San Mamés, Athletic Bilbao, 30 March 2020
  12. "Ladies - Cup 2016-17 (other seasons can be selected)". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  13. "Territorial Vizcaína Femenina 2000–01" (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  14. "Primera Nacional Femenina (Grupo 1) 2001–02" (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  15. "Fase de ascenso a Superliga (Grupo 2) 2001–02" (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  16. "Ladies - Cup 2016-17 (other seasons can be selected)". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Champions of the Carranza, Athletic Bilbao, 15 August 2019
  20. "Athletic Club Women | Team 2022-23". Athletic Club. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
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