Athletic Club Femenino

Athletic Club Femenino is the women's football section of Athletic Bilbao, competing in the Spanish First Division. 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 coachÁngel Villacampa
LeaguePrimera División
2018–19Primera División, 5th
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 Group 2 of the Segunda División, the regionalised second tier.[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

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		 Neulengbach
1º Dezembro
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		 Newtownabbey Strikers
Maccabi Holon
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		 Arsenal
Djurgården/Älvsjö
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		 Glasgow City
Rapide Wezemaal
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		 Krka Novo Mesto
Birkirkara
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.)		 Fortuna HjørringCorres, Oroz
Vázquez
0

Players

Current squad

As of 2 July 2020.[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  ESP Andere Leguina
2 DF  ESP Andrea Sierra
3 DF  ESP Ainhoa Moraza
4 DF  ESP Garazi
5 DF  ESP Naroa Uriarte
6 MF  ESP Oihane Valdezate
7 FW  ESP Nekane
8 MF  ESP María Díaz
9 FW  ESP Yulema Corres
10 MF  ESP Jone Ibáñez
11 MF  ESP Marta Unzué
12 DF  ESP Oihane
No. Pos. Nation Player
13 GK  ESP Amaia
14 MF  ESP Eunate
15 MF  FRA Sophie Istillart
16 FW  ESP Ane Azkona
17 FW  ESP Lucía García
18 MF  ESP Marta Perea
19 FW  ESP Erika Vázquez
21 DF  ESP Vanesa Gimbert
22 GK  ESP Andrea De la Nava
23 FW  ESP Leyre Monente
24 MF  ESP Nerea Nevado
27 GK  ESP Ainhize Arana

Reserve team
Main article: Athletic Club Femenino B

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
29 MF  GER Bibiane Schulze-Solano

Former players

For details of current and former players, see Category:Athletic Bilbao (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 Atletico 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 Ladies". Athletic Club. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
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