Club Deportivo Basconia is a Spanish football club based in Basauri, Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country. Founded on 14 March 1913, it currently plays in Tercera División RFEF – Group 4, holding home games at Estadio de López Cortázar, with an 8,500-seat capacity.[3] In 1997, they entered into a partnership with Athletic Bilbao to serve as a feeder club for Bilbao and essentially operate as the club's C team.[4]
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| Full name | Club Deportivo Basconia | ||
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| Founded | 14 March 1913 | ||
| Ground | Polideportivo de Artunduaga, Basauri, Basque Country, Spain | ||
| Capacity | 8,500[1] | ||
| President | Juan Ignacio Azurmendi | ||
| Head coach | Carlos Gurpegui[2] | ||
| League | 3ª RFEF – Group 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | 3ª – Group 4 (B),4th of 11 3ª – Group 4 (D), 4th of 6 | ||
| Website | http://www.cdbasconia.com | ||
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History
Founded in 1913 and named after a local iron and steel-working works (later owned by the Altos Hornos de Vizcaya company), Basconia reached the national third level (Tercera División) thirty years later. The club played in the second tier for six seasons (1957–63), but this was before the creation of the regionalised new third division in the 1970s.
In 1997, Basconia became Basque neighbours Athletic Bilbao's feeder club, not being eligible for promotion if the reserves, Bilbao Athletic, playing in the level above, did not attain the same goal. The primary function of the agreement is to aid the development of young players in a challenging environment while remaining in the same group under the close guidance of the parent club; a number of teenagers who spent a season at Basconia became professionals at Athletic Bilbao, eventually playing in La Liga and UEFA competitions. In January 2020, it was confirmed that the partnership, due to expire that summer, had been renewed for another three years to 2023.[5]
Basconia's place in Athletic's club structure means that the squad changes greatly each season. About half of the players move up to play for Bilbao Athletic, or go out on loan to other local clubs playing at Segunda División B level. They are replaced by graduates, usually 17 or 18 years old, from the previous year's Juvenil A team. The squad is normally expanded further with new signings from the regions's youth clubs, most notably Danok Bat and Antiguoko.
Although Athletic Bilbao control the main squad's players and coaching personnel, Basconia retains its own club committee and staff and operates several youth teams as well as amateur side Basconia B who compete in the Preferente de Vizcaya league, two levels below the first team. These other teams play in a separate small stadium in the town, Soloarte. Occasionally, the main squad has been supplemented by some of Basconia's 'own' players in emergencies – Mikel Rico was with Basconia B when he appeared in one Tercera División fixture in 2001;[6] he left Biscay for a long career across Spain which eventually brought him back to sign for Athletic in 2013.
In January 2018, with the team struggling to remain in the league, Basconia took the unusual step of recruiting some older, more experienced players including Thaylor Lubanzadio[7][8][9] to help them maintain their 23-year divisional status,[10] which was eventually accomplished – they finished 15th, 5 points above the relegation zone.[11]
Season to season
- As a separate club
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- As a farm team
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- 6 seasons in Segunda División
- 8 seasons in Segunda División B
- 55 seasons in Tercera División
- 1 season in Tercera División RFEF
Current squad
- As of 8 February 2022[12]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours
Notes
- ^ Third tier
- ^ Promoted in play-offs
- ^ Fourth tier
- ^ Not promoted in play-offs
- ^ Won group in play-offs, but ineligible for promotion as Bilbao Athletic did not gain promotion from the level above (they too made the playoffs but finished third)
- ^ Not promoted in play-offs, and would have been ineligible as Bilbao Athletic did not gain promotion from the level above
Selected coaches
Notable players
Note: this list contains players who have appeared in at least 50 league games for the first team or have reached international status.
Yeray Álvarez
Fernando Amorebieta- Daniel Aranzubia
- José Argoitia[13]
- Joseba Arriaga
- Kepa Arrizabalaga
- Beñat
- Eneko Bóveda
- Javier Casas
- Iñigo Córdoba
- Koldo Etxeberria[13]
- Borja Ekiza
- Unai Expósito
Cristian Ganea[14]- Carlos Gurpegi
- Iago Herrerín
- Gorka Iraizoz
- Andoni Iraola
- José Ángel Iribar[13]
- Ander Iturraspe
- Aymeric Laporte
- Enrique Larrinaga[13]
- Iñigo Lekue
- Fernando Llorente
- Unai López
- Sabin Merino
- Unai Núñez
- Luis Prieto
- Mikel Rico
- Unai Simón
- Markel Susaeta
- Ustaritz
- Óscar Vales
- Asier Villalibre
Iñaki Williams- Francisco Yeste
See also
- Athletic Bilbao (first team)
- Bilbao Athletic (B team)
References
- ^ "Dimensiones, asistencia de Estadio Pedro López Cortázar en Basauri – Fichajes.com". Fichajes.com : Información sobre los fichajes y actualidad del mundo del fútbol (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ Patxi Salinas appointed Bilbao Athletic head coach, Athletic Bilbao, 14 December 2021
- ^ "Estadio López Cortázar (Basozelai) :: ceroacero.es". ceroacero.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ "Athletic Club and CD Basconia Extend PArtnership Agreement Through 2023". Inside Athletic. 17 January 2020.
- ^ Basconia, subsidiary team of Athletic Club until 2023, Athletic Bilbao, 17 January 2020
- ^ Basconia 3–0 UPV; Athletic Bilbao, 11 April 2001
- ^ "Thaylor profile". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ "Adrián Celador profile". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ "Iker Amorrortu profile". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ "El Athletic ficha a un futbolista de 23 años para el Basconia" [Athletic signs a 23-year-old player for Basconia]. El Correo (in Spanish). 3 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
- ^ "Tercera División Grupo 4 – IV – Euskadi, Temporada 2017/2018". resultados-futbol.com. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ Basconia squad at Athletic Club official website
- ^ a b c d While the club operated independently (pre 1997).
- ^ Youth teams only.
External links
- Official website (in Spanish)
- Team history at Athletic Bilbao's official website
- La Cantera De Lezama[permanent dead link] Unofficial website focusing on Athletic's cantera teams