In the November 2022 edition of this column, I wrote about an episode in which the home team's players and fans applauded the visiting team before a J2 League match. It was about FC Machida Zelvia's “guard of honour” towards Emperor's Cup winners Ventforet Kofu.

It is really refreshing to see rival teams expressing respect for each other. This time, I would like to share a tale of respect, born in the first division of the Spanish LaLiga, which is considered to be one of the most competitive and high-level leagues in the world along with the English Premier League.

In football, the home team has priority when it comes to uniform selection and the visiting team is supposed to wear its second uniform if the colours are similar, or if it is difficult to distinguish one team from the other. However, something unusual happened in the match between Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao on February 19 in Madrid. Both teams are known for their red-and-white striped uniforms, but to the surprise of many, the visiting side, Athletic Bilbao, wore their trademark uniform while the home side, Atletico Madrid, played the match in their orange “third uniform.” This was a tribute to Athletic Bilbao, which was celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Located in northern Spain, Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque County, was one of the first towns in Spain to be introduced to football. Many mining engineers from the UK living/working in the city began to play football and soon the local students joined them, which lead to a football craze in the area. It was during this time that the “Athletic Club” was founded in 1898, and the fact that the club was named in English shows its origins.

Its red-and-white striped uniform is said to have originated from one of two English clubs, Sunderland AFC or Southampton FC. In either case, the club has been significantly influenced by England.

In 1903, three Basque students who supported the Athletic Club founded a football club in Madrid as a “branch” of the Bilbao club. Four years later, it became an independent club and changed its name to a Spanish name “Atetico”, but even after its independence, the two clubs continued to maintain a unique relationship as “brother clubs,” which continues to this day. This explains why the uniforms and club emblems of the two clubs are similar.

The “elder brother,” Athletic Bilbao, has won the championship eight times and has never been relegated from the First Division since the inception of the Spanish League in 1929. The fact that there are only two other clubs, Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona, that have gone without being relegated shows how successful Athletic has been.

The “younger brother,” Atletico Madrid, has grown to be one of the most formidable clubs in Europe while outpacing its “older brother” with 11 league titles.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of Athletic Bilbao. In order to celebrate this occasion, the “younger brother” offered to give up their uniform rights in their annual home game against their “older brother.” Red-and-white scarves with emblems of both clubs sold like hotcakes, and the two clubs posed for a commemorative photo before the match, generating a friendly atmosphere.

However, once the match started, it was a completely different story. Despite being “brothers,” they are now professional clubs competing in the same league, and this match was crucial for both sides to maintain their position at the top of the standings. It was a heated match filled with brilliant attacks and excellent saves made by the goalkeepers, but in the end, French international Antoine GRIEZMANN displayed a fine individual effort to score the decisive goal for Atletico, giving the home side a valuable victory.

Other teams in the same league are rivals and competitors on the pitch. However, once stepping off the pitch, they become friends who inspire and motivate each other to do better. Even if they don’t have the same level of kinship as these two “brother clubs,” it's nice to see rivals treating one another with respect.

Written by OSUMI Yoshiyuki (Football Journalist)

*This article was originally posted on the Japan Football Association Newsletter, “JFAnews,” March 2023 edition.

Japan Football Association Newsletter “JFAnews”

The Japan Football Association Newsletter “JFAnews” contains all the information on the Japan National Team, events hosted by JFA, tournament results, and team information throughout the nation. The official monthly magazine is a must read for coaches, referees, and all members of the football family.

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