IMAGINE if Manchester United could only field players born or raised in the Greater Manchester area.
United have always prided themselves on developing their own young stars, from Bobby Charlton and the Busby Babes to David Beckham and the Class of ’92.
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But if they operated under the same kind of rules as Europa League semi-final opponents Athletic Bilbao, then Old Trafford legends like Roy Keane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney would never have worn the famous red shirt.
Athletic proudly stick to a self-imposed rule that they only sign players who meet their criteria for being considered Basque.
And that means footballers either born in the region — that straddles northern Spain and south west France — or who have come through their academy or from youth development programmes at clubs in the area.
The total population of the seven areas that make up the Basque Country is around three million, pretty much the same as Greater Manchester.
Yet despite their own restrictions, Athletic are one of the most successful clubs in Spain and will go into tomorrow’s first leg with United as warm favourites.
Although their last league title came in 1983-84, their total of eight puts them fourth in Spanish football’s hall of fame behind the Madrid giants and Barcelona.
Last season’s Copa del Rey triumph was the 24th in Athletic’s history, second only to Barca’s 32.
And they are on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League — even without winning the Europa League, as they sit fourth in LaLiga.
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Winger Nico Williams, 22, is the poster boy for the current generation and a summer target for the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona.
His older brother and team-mate Inaki was born in Bilbao in 1994 — not long after their parents arrived from Ghana.
Eight years later, Nico came into the world in Pamplona, the Basque city famous for its annual bull-running festival.
Inaki had a year in Athletic’s academy before starting his senior career at other local teams and rejoining Athletic at the age of 20.
Between the years of 2016 and 2023 he played 251 consecutive league games, a LaLiga record.
His brother Nico has been at Athletic since he was just 11.
Inaki played one senior game for Spain and two for the Basque Country team before committing his services to his family’s homeland of Ghana at senior international level
Nico, meanwhile scored the opening goal in the Euro 2024 final as Spain beat England 2-1.
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The younger Williams brother is thought to be destined to play in the Premier League sooner rather than later.
But any English club wanting to buy him would have to cough up.
Not only the £51million necessary to trigger the release clause in his contract, which runs until 2027.
They would also have to give him a decent rise on his current wages at Athletic, which are said to be in the region of £200,000 per week.
Athletic’s Basque-only policy means they do not shell out big money on transfers too often.
But it also allows them to pay their best players handsomely.
BASQUE TO THE FUTURE
ATHLETIC BILBAO’S selection policy explained…
The club have instilled a “Basque-only” rule – since 1911 – which means not just any footballer can play for the club.
The San Mames outfit has stated that every one of their players has to either been born or raised in the Basque Country.
Another statement reads: “As an institution, Athletic Club and all its supporters are characterised by a steadfast belief in a set of values which are becoming increasingly uncommon in football and 21st century sport.
“Athletic Club takes pride in its own and has a philosophy and way of seeing football that is unique in the world of football.
“This ideal is fully reflected in its policy of promoting academy players.
“Athletic Club is based in Bilbao, a city situated in Biscay, a province which makes up part of the Basque Country.
“The club’s sporting philosophy is governed by a code which states that Athletic Club may only field players who have come through its own academy or the academies of other clubs in the Basque Country, or players who were born in the following territories which constitute the Basque Country: Biscay, Gipuzkoa, Alava, Navarre, Labourd, Soule and Lower Navarre.”
You can make a good argument that the Basque nation is among the most successful in modern football, per head of population.
The Basque Autonomous Community in Spain consists of four provinces — Navarre, Biscay, Alava and Gipuzkoa.
The latter is the smallest province by area in all of Spain, yet it has produced a large number of top-level players and coaches.
Three current Premier League bosses come from the province — Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Bournemouth chief Andoni Iraola – who has been a ‘spy’ for Athletic this week.
Also from the area is Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool star tipped to leave Bayer Leverkusen and take over at another of his old clubs, Real Madrid.
Add in one-time Spain, Real and West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui, ex-Barcelona chief Ernesto Valverde, now Athletic’s boss — and the list goes on.
Alonso, Arteta and Iraola were team-mates at Antiguoko, the junior side from Gipuzkoa that used to beat teams from Real and other big clubs for fun.
United know all about the virtues of Basque footballers and Athletic.
They signed Bilbao-born Ander Herrera from Athletic in 2014 after he was part of the side that beat them home and away in the Europa League last 16 in 2012.
Herrera won the FA Cup under Louis van Gaal in 2016.
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That was before lifting both the League Cup and the Europa League in 2016-17 with Jose Mourinho.
United have not known such success since, thanks mainly to wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on players from all over.
Maybe the new regime at Old Trafford should adopt a Bilbao-style recruitment policy for the club which claims to represent the People’s Republic of Mancunia.
Man Utd player ratings vs Bournemouth
MANCHESTER UNITED managed to secure a 1-1 draw against 10-man Bournemouth in the sixth minute of injury time.
Rasmus Hojlund’s last-gasp equaliser leaves United 14th in the Prem, after Evanilson was sent off for serious foul play with 20 minutes to go.
Man Utd target Antoine Semenyo fired the home side into the lead with a thunderbolt opener, after a calamity of mistakes while playing out from the back.
Yet United somewhat responded well, mainly through Alejandro Garnacho’s flurry of chances.
So was the Argentine the star player for Man Utd? Check out how the players rated.
