Athletic Bilbao Quiz
Free Athletic Bilbao quiz with explained answers — from the Basque-only cantera and San Mamés to Telmo Zarra, the 2024 Copa del Rey and the Basque derby.
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easy
In what year was Athletic Club (Athletic Bilbao) founded?
WhyAthletic was founded in 1898, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Spain. -
easy
Athletic Bilbao's fiercely contested 'Basque derby' is played against which neighbouring club?
WhyReal Sociedad, from San Sebastián, are Athletic's great Basque rivals. -
medium
Which Argentine coach guided Athletic Bilbao to the 2012 Europa League and Copa del Rey finals?
WhyMarcelo 'El Loco' Bielsa took charge of Athletic from 2011 to 2013. -
medium
Which coach led Athletic Bilbao's dominant, title-winning side of the early 1980s?
WhyJavier Clemente masterminded consecutive league titles and a cup double in the 1980s. -
hard
During the Franco era, Athletic was forced to adopt which Spanish-language version of its name?
WhyFranco-era 'Spanishisation' turned the English word 'Athletic' into 'Atlético de Bilbao' before the club later reverted. -
medium
In the 2012 Europa League final Athletic Bilbao lost 3–0 to which fellow Spanish club?
WhyAtlético Madrid won the Bucharest final 3–0 in May 2012. -
medium
Midfielder Ander Herrera left Athletic Bilbao in 2014 to join which English club?
WhyHerrera signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2014. -
hard
Which Athletic Bilbao captain helped carry the then-banned Basque flag onto the pitch before a December 1976 derby?
WhyGoalkeeper-captain José Ángel Iribar helped display the ikurriña, which was legalised soon after in 1977. -
medium
By the mid-1980s, how many La Liga titles had Athletic Bilbao won?
WhyAthletic had claimed eight top-flight championships by the mid-1980s. -
medium
Which one-club attacking midfielder was Athletic Bilbao's talisman and fan idol throughout the 1990s?
WhyJulen Guerrero, a homegrown playmaker, became a 1990s icon and a Spain international. -
hard
Which bowler-hatted Englishman built Athletic Bilbao's dominant side of the late 1920s and early 1930s?
WhyFred Pentland, nicknamed 'El Bombín' (the bowler hat), delivered multiple league titles and cups. -
medium
In 2012 Athletic Bilbao sold midfielder Javi Martínez to which German club?
WhyJavi Martínez joined Bayern Munich in a then club-record sale and won the Champions League there in 2013. -
medium
Athletic Bilbao won their first La Liga title in which season?
WhyAthletic were crowned Spanish champions for the first time in 1929–30, in the early years of La Liga. -
hard
Which Slovak coach guided Athletic Bilbao to a league-and-cup double in 1955–56?
WhyFerdinand Daučík's side pipped their rivals to the 1955–56 title by a single point and also won the cup. -
medium
Which veteran striker scored a hat-trick in the first leg of Athletic Bilbao's 2015 Spanish Super Cup triumph?
WhyAritz Aduriz, still prolific into his late thirties, netted three in the first-leg rout. -
medium
The 2024 Copa del Rey final was staged at which stadium?
WhyThe final was played at the neutral La Cartuja stadium in Seville. -
hard
In 2018 Chelsea paid a then world-record fee for a goalkeeper to sign which Athletic Bilbao academy product?
WhyKepa Arrizabalaga moved to Chelsea for about €80m, a world record for a goalkeeper at the time. -
medium
The current, rebuilt San Mamés stadium opened in which year?
WhyThe new San Mamés was inaugurated in 2013 with a capacity of around 53,000. -
medium
The La Liga award for the top-scoring Spanish player is named after which Athletic Bilbao striker?
WhyThe Zarra Trophy honours Telmo Zarra, a prolific striker of the 1940s and 1950s. -
hard
To reach the 2014–15 Champions League group stage, Athletic Bilbao won a qualifying play-off against which Italian club?
WhyAthletic beat Napoli over two legs, sealing it at the new San Mamés, to make the group stage. -
medium
Athletic Bilbao won the second of their back-to-back early-1980s La Liga titles in which season?
WhyAthletic followed up their 1982–83 championship by retaining the league title in 1983–84. -
medium
Which Athletic Bilbao striker was part of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad?
WhyFernando Llorente travelled to South Africa 2010 as an Athletic player and lifted the trophy with Spain. -
hard
Athletic Bilbao qualified for the Champions League by finishing La Liga runners-up in which season under Luis Fernández?
WhyA second-place finish in 1997–98 sent Athletic into the Champions League the following season. -
medium
The original San Mamés stadium first opened in which year?
WhyThe first San Mamés opened in 1913, hosting an early match against Racing de Irún. -
medium
Athletic Bilbao reached the 1977 UEFA Cup final, losing on away goals to which Italian club?
WhyThe tie finished 2–2 on aggregate and Juventus took the trophy on away goals. -
hard
Which goalkeeper, a title-winner with Athletic Bilbao in the 1980s, went on to play at four World Cups for Spain (1986, 1990, 1994, 1998)?
WhyAndoni Zubizarreta began his career in Athletic's goal before a long international career as Spain's number one. -
medium
Which manager led Athletic Bilbao to their 2024 Copa del Rey triumph?
WhyErnesto Valverde, in a third spell at the club, ended the long trophy drought in 2024. -
medium
In the mid-1940s Athletic won the Copa in three consecutive years, starting in which year?
WhyAthletic lifted the cup (then the Copa del Generalísimo) in 1943, 1944 and 1945. -
hard
Defender Andoni Goikoetxea earned the nickname 'The Butcher of Bilbao' after a 1983 challenge that broke whose ankle?
WhyHis brutal tackle on Diego Maradona at Camp Nou in 1983 gave rise to the grim nickname. -
medium
Athletic Bilbao's youth academy and training complex is located in which village near Bilbao?
WhyLezama, opened in 1971, is the heart of Athletic's celebrated youth development. -
medium
Athletic Bilbao won the 2024 Copa del Rey final on penalties against which club?
WhyAthletic edged Mallorca 4–2 on spot-kicks after a 1–1 draw. -
hard
Athletic Bilbao lost the 2021 Copa del Rey final heavily to which club?
WhyBarcelona won the 2021 final 4–0, with a brace from Lionel Messi. -
easy
In January 2018 Athletic Bilbao sold defender Aymeric Laporte, then a club-record sale, to which club?
WhyLaporte joined Manchester City for around €65m, a record fee received for Athletic at the time. -
easy
Athletic Bilbao's distinctive recruitment philosophy restricts signings to players with what characteristic?
WhyThe famous 'cantera' policy limits the squad to players who are Basque-born or developed in the Basque Country. -
easy
What is Athletic Bilbao's nickname?
WhyThey are known as Los Leones, Spanish for 'the Lions'. -
easy
Athletic Bilbao was a founding member of Spain's top division when it launched in which year?
WhyThey were one of the founding clubs of the inaugural Primera División in 1929. -
easy
As reigning Spanish league champions, Athletic Bilbao contested which European competition in the mid-1980s?
WhyDomestic champions of that era entered the European Cup, the forerunner of the Champions League. -
easy
Which Athletic Bilbao-developed winger won UEFA Euro 2024 with Spain?
WhyNico Williams, a product of Athletic's academy, scored in Spain's Euro 2024 final win. -
easy
What are Athletic Bilbao's traditional home colours?
WhyTheir red-and-white striped shirts are among the most recognisable kits in Spain. -
easy
How does Athletic Bilbao traditionally celebrate major trophies in the city?
WhyLa Gabarra, a river barge, has paraded titles down the Nervión estuary since 1983.
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About Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club — Athletic Bilbao — were founded in 1898 and are one of the most distinctive institutions in world football. This free Athletic quiz covers the whole story: the red-and-white stripes, San Mamés (La Catedral), Los Leones, and the famous cantera philosophy of fielding only players with Basque roots or developed in the Basque region. If you know your Athletic, this is your test.
Few clubs carry this much history. Athletic are one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, and won eight Spanish league titles, the last of them in 1983-84. They have lifted the Copa del Rey more than almost anyone, and in 2024 they ended a 40-year wait for a major trophy by beating Mallorca on penalties. The club's identity runs through Telmo Zarra, after whom the Zarra Trophy is named, goalkeeper-captain José Ángel Iribar, and Rafael 'Pichichi' Moreno, whose nickname adorns La Liga's top-scorer award. Titles are still paraded down the Nervión estuary on La Gabarra, a river barge.
Expect questions on the Basque-only policy, San Mamés, the great legends, and the Basque derby against Real Sociedad. You'll be asked what Los Leones means, which club Athletic beat in the 2024 cup final, and what makes their recruitment unique. Difficulty climbs from easy openers about the colours and the city to genuinely hard deep cuts about specific finals, scorers and seasons.
Athletic Bilbao quiz answers, explained
Every question from the quiz above. Play it first; each answer stays folded until you open it.
In what year was Athletic Club (Athletic Bilbao) founded?
Show answer
1898. Athletic was founded in 1898, making it one of the oldest football clubs in Spain.
Athletic Bilbao's fiercely contested 'Basque derby' is played against which neighbouring club?
Show answer
Real Sociedad. Real Sociedad, from San Sebastián, are Athletic's great Basque rivals.
Which Argentine coach guided Athletic Bilbao to the 2012 Europa League and Copa del Rey finals?
Show answer
Marcelo Bielsa. Marcelo 'El Loco' Bielsa took charge of Athletic from 2011 to 2013.
Which coach led Athletic Bilbao's dominant, title-winning side of the early 1980s?
Show answer
Javier Clemente. Javier Clemente masterminded consecutive league titles and a cup double in the 1980s.
During the Franco era, Athletic was forced to adopt which Spanish-language version of its name?
Show answer
Atlético de Bilbao. Franco-era 'Spanishisation' turned the English word 'Athletic' into 'Atlético de Bilbao' before the club later reverted.
In the 2012 Europa League final Athletic Bilbao lost 3–0 to which fellow Spanish club?
Show answer
Atlético Madrid. Atlético Madrid won the Bucharest final 3–0 in May 2012.
Midfielder Ander Herrera left Athletic Bilbao in 2014 to join which English club?
Show answer
Manchester United. Herrera signed for Manchester United in the summer of 2014.
Which Athletic Bilbao captain helped carry the then-banned Basque flag onto the pitch before a December 1976 derby?
Show answer
José Ángel Iribar. Goalkeeper-captain José Ángel Iribar helped display the ikurriña, which was legalised soon after in 1977.
By the mid-1980s, how many La Liga titles had Athletic Bilbao won?
Show answer
Eight. Athletic had claimed eight top-flight championships by the mid-1980s.
Which one-club attacking midfielder was Athletic Bilbao's talisman and fan idol throughout the 1990s?
Show answer
Julen Guerrero. Julen Guerrero, a homegrown playmaker, became a 1990s icon and a Spain international.
Which bowler-hatted Englishman built Athletic Bilbao's dominant side of the late 1920s and early 1930s?
Show answer
Fred Pentland. Fred Pentland, nicknamed 'El Bombín' (the bowler hat), delivered multiple league titles and cups.
In 2012 Athletic Bilbao sold midfielder Javi Martínez to which German club?
Show answer
Bayern Munich. Javi Martínez joined Bayern Munich in a then club-record sale and won the Champions League there in 2013.
Athletic Bilbao won their first La Liga title in which season?
Show answer
1929–30. Athletic were crowned Spanish champions for the first time in 1929–30, in the early years of La Liga.
Which Slovak coach guided Athletic Bilbao to a league-and-cup double in 1955–56?
Show answer
Ferdinand Daučík. Ferdinand Daučík's side pipped their rivals to the 1955–56 title by a single point and also won the cup.
Which veteran striker scored a hat-trick in the first leg of Athletic Bilbao's 2015 Spanish Super Cup triumph?
Show answer
Aritz Aduriz. Aritz Aduriz, still prolific into his late thirties, netted three in the first-leg rout.
The 2024 Copa del Rey final was staged at which stadium?
Show answer
La Cartuja, Seville. The final was played at the neutral La Cartuja stadium in Seville.
In 2018 Chelsea paid a then world-record fee for a goalkeeper to sign which Athletic Bilbao academy product?
Show answer
Kepa Arrizabalaga. Kepa Arrizabalaga moved to Chelsea for about €80m, a world record for a goalkeeper at the time.
The current, rebuilt San Mamés stadium opened in which year?
Show answer
2013. The new San Mamés was inaugurated in 2013 with a capacity of around 53,000.
The La Liga award for the top-scoring Spanish player is named after which Athletic Bilbao striker?
Show answer
Telmo Zarra. The Zarra Trophy honours Telmo Zarra, a prolific striker of the 1940s and 1950s.
To reach the 2014–15 Champions League group stage, Athletic Bilbao won a qualifying play-off against which Italian club?
Show answer
Napoli. Athletic beat Napoli over two legs, sealing it at the new San Mamés, to make the group stage.
Athletic Bilbao won the second of their back-to-back early-1980s La Liga titles in which season?
Show answer
1983–84. Athletic followed up their 1982–83 championship by retaining the league title in 1983–84.
Which Athletic Bilbao striker was part of Spain's 2010 World Cup-winning squad?
Show answer
Fernando Llorente. Fernando Llorente travelled to South Africa 2010 as an Athletic player and lifted the trophy with Spain.
Athletic Bilbao qualified for the Champions League by finishing La Liga runners-up in which season under Luis Fernández?
Show answer
1997–98. A second-place finish in 1997–98 sent Athletic into the Champions League the following season.
The original San Mamés stadium first opened in which year?
Show answer
1913. The first San Mamés opened in 1913, hosting an early match against Racing de Irún.
Athletic Bilbao reached the 1977 UEFA Cup final, losing on away goals to which Italian club?
Show answer
Juventus. The tie finished 2–2 on aggregate and Juventus took the trophy on away goals.
Which goalkeeper, a title-winner with Athletic Bilbao in the 1980s, went on to play at four World Cups for Spain (1986, 1990, 1994, 1998)?
Show answer
Andoni Zubizarreta. Andoni Zubizarreta began his career in Athletic's goal before a long international career as Spain's number one.
Which manager led Athletic Bilbao to their 2024 Copa del Rey triumph?
Show answer
Ernesto Valverde. Ernesto Valverde, in a third spell at the club, ended the long trophy drought in 2024.
In the mid-1940s Athletic won the Copa in three consecutive years, starting in which year?
Show answer
1943. Athletic lifted the cup (then the Copa del Generalísimo) in 1943, 1944 and 1945.
Defender Andoni Goikoetxea earned the nickname 'The Butcher of Bilbao' after a 1983 challenge that broke whose ankle?
Show answer
Diego Maradona. His brutal tackle on Diego Maradona at Camp Nou in 1983 gave rise to the grim nickname.
Athletic Bilbao's youth academy and training complex is located in which village near Bilbao?
Show answer
Lezama. Lezama, opened in 1971, is the heart of Athletic's celebrated youth development.
Athletic Bilbao won the 2024 Copa del Rey final on penalties against which club?
Show answer
Mallorca. Athletic edged Mallorca 4–2 on spot-kicks after a 1–1 draw.
Athletic Bilbao lost the 2021 Copa del Rey final heavily to which club?
Show answer
Barcelona. Barcelona won the 2021 final 4–0, with a brace from Lionel Messi.
In January 2018 Athletic Bilbao sold defender Aymeric Laporte, then a club-record sale, to which club?
Show answer
Manchester City. Laporte joined Manchester City for around €65m, a record fee received for Athletic at the time.
Athletic Bilbao's distinctive recruitment philosophy restricts signings to players with what characteristic?
Show answer
Basque roots or developed in the Basque region. The famous 'cantera' policy limits the squad to players who are Basque-born or developed in the Basque Country.
What is Athletic Bilbao's nickname?
Show answer
The Lions (Los Leones). They are known as Los Leones, Spanish for 'the Lions'.
Athletic Bilbao was a founding member of Spain's top division when it launched in which year?
Show answer
1929. They were one of the founding clubs of the inaugural Primera División in 1929.
As reigning Spanish league champions, Athletic Bilbao contested which European competition in the mid-1980s?
Show answer
The European Cup. Domestic champions of that era entered the European Cup, the forerunner of the Champions League.
Which Athletic Bilbao-developed winger won UEFA Euro 2024 with Spain?
Show answer
Nico Williams. Nico Williams, a product of Athletic's academy, scored in Spain's Euro 2024 final win.
What are Athletic Bilbao's traditional home colours?
Show answer
Red-and-white vertical stripes. Their red-and-white striped shirts are among the most recognisable kits in Spain.
How does Athletic Bilbao traditionally celebrate major trophies in the city?
Show answer
On a barge (La Gabarra) along the river. La Gabarra, a river barge, has paraded titles down the Nervión estuary since 1983.
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