"With eight La Liga titles and 24 Copas del Rey, Athletic - who face Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday - are the third-most successful club in Spain in terms of domestic honours. Along with Real Madrid and Barcelona, they have never been relegated from the top division of Spanish football since its foundation in 1929."
"In Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque region of Spain, football is not just a game - it is a way of life. "Even the people who don't care about football in Bilbao, care about Athletic," says local journalist Benat Gutierrez - his words echoing the sentiment of an entire city. For Athletic Club, otherwise known as Athletic Bilbao, identity matters just as much as trophies - and perhaps even more."
"In place since 1912, the rule - known as the 'Cantera' policy - only applies to players, with members of the club's staff being permitted to be employed without being from or linked to the Basque Country. The club's website states that "Athletic Club may only field players""
Athletic Club, based in Bilbao, fields only players born or developed in the Basque Country under a long-standing 'Cantera' policy dating to 1912. The club has won eight La Liga titles and 24 Copas del Rey and, alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, has never been relegated from the Spanish top division since 1929. Fans treat the club as a symbol of community and regional belonging, and the local-only recruitment policy defines club identity. Club staff may be non-Basque, and the model remains a global anomaly that still allows Athletic to compete at the highest levels.
Read at www.bbc.com
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