Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona: A Historic Rivalry

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reuters.com

Introduction
Early History and Origins
Head-to-Head Statistics
Memorable Athletic-Barcelona Clashes
1984 Copa del Rey Brawl
Athletic's Super Cup Triumphs
Historic Players
Cultural and Political Significance

Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona: A Historic Rivalry

Curated by

cdteliot

6 min read

3,159

The Athletic–Barcelona clásico is one of the most historic and significant football rivalries in Spain, featuring two of the country's most successful and influential clubs. With over 240 competitive meetings dating back to 1920, this fixture showcases the unique regional identities and footballing philosophies of the Basque Country's Athletic Bilbao and Catalonia's FC Barcelona.

Early History and Origins

fcbarcelona.com

Athletic Bilbao and FC Barcelona are two of the oldest football clubs in Spain, with Athletic founded in 1898 and Barcelona in 1899.

Both clubs were among the founding members of the Spanish league in 1928 and have never been relegated, a distinction shared only with Real Madrid.

The first official meeting between Athletic and Barcelona took place in the 1920 Copa del Rey final, which Barcelona won 2-0.

This began a rivalry that has spanned over a century, with the two clubs competing against each other in La Liga and Copa del Rey on a regular basis. In the early years of the rivalry, several high-scoring matches took place. The most notable was Athletic's stunning 12-1 victory over Barcelona in February 1931, which remains Barcelona's heaviest ever defeat.

Athletic legend Agustín Sauto scored 7 goals in that match, a La Liga record that stood until 2015.

Other significant results in the early period include a 7-5 win for Athletic in January 1940 and a 6-3 victory for Barcelona in December 1930.

The 1930s saw the emergence of prolific scorers like Athletic's Telmo Zarra and Barça's Paulino Alcántara who would frequently find the net in this fixture.

The rivalry continued to develop through the 1940s and 1950s as both clubs consistently challenged for domestic honors. Matches between them were hard-fought and regularly attracted large crowds, laying the foundations for a historic rivalry that has endured to the present day.

3 sources

Head-to-Head Statistics

goal.com

Here is a summary of the head-to-head record between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona:

Statistic	Value
Total Matches Played	241
Barcelona Wins	121
Athletic Bilbao Wins	80
Draws	40
Barcelona Goals Scored	444
Athletic Bilbao Goals Scored	334

In their 241 competitive meetings, Barcelona has had the upper hand with 121 victories compared to 80 for Athletic Bilbao, along with 40 draws.

Barcelona has scored 444 goals in the fixture, while Athletic has netted 334 times.

Recently, Barcelona has dominated the rivalry in La Liga play, winning seven of the last eight league encounters.

However, Athletic has found more success in cup competitions, including a 4-2 victory over Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa del Rey.

In the 68 most recent meetings since 2000, Barcelona has won 43 times (63.2%), with Athletic victorious on 11 occasions (16.2%) and 14 matches ending in draws (20.6%).

On average, these matches have featured 2.99 total goals scored per game.

Barcelona's 2.10 goals scored per match in this period is notably higher than Athletic's 0.88 goals per game.

3 sources

Memorable Athletic-Barcelona Clashes

medium.com

Here are some of the most memorable matches between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona:

1984 Copa del Rey Final: This infamous match ended with a massive brawl involving Diego Maradona and players from both sides, highlighting the intense animosity between the clubs at the time. Athletic won the match 1-0.
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2015 Spanish Super Cup: Athletic stunned treble-winners Barcelona with a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory, including a 4-0 win in the first leg at San Mamés. Aritz Aduriz scored a hat-trick in the first leg rout.
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2021 Spanish Super Cup Final: Athletic again upset Barcelona, this time 3-2 after extra time. Iñaki Williams scored a stunning winner in extra time before Lionel Messi was sent off in the dying moments for lashing out at Asier Villalibre.
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1930/31 La Liga: Athletic handed Barcelona their heaviest ever defeat, thrashing them 12-1. Athletic legend Agustín Sauto scored 7 goals, a La Liga record that stood until 2015.
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1976/77 UEFA Cup Quarter-Finals: The only European meeting between the clubs saw Athletic progress 4-3 on aggregate thanks to a brace from Johan Cruyff for Barcelona in the second leg.
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4 sources

1984 Copa del Rey Brawl

tribuna.com

The 1984 Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona is one of the most infamous matches in the history of the rivalry. Played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, the match ended with a 1-0 victory for Athletic courtesy of a goal from Endika Guarrotxena.

However, the game is best remembered for the shocking scenes of violence that erupted after the final whistle. A massive brawl broke out between the two sets of players, with Barcelona's Diego Maradona right at the center of the mayhem.

Maradona, who had been the target of rough treatment from Athletic players throughout the match, reacted furiously to provocation from Bilbao's Miguel Sola.

The Argentine star knocked Sola unconscious with a flying knee before trading blows with several other Athletic players.

The ugly scenes, which were broadcast on live television, saw players from both sides engaged in a chaotic melee of punches and kicks as officials struggled to restore order.

The fighting spilled over into the stands, with some fans joining in the violence.

Eventually, the brawl was broken up, but the damage to the reputation of Spanish football had been done.

The 1984 final served to highlight the immense animosity and tension between Athletic and Barcelona in that era.

Bad blood had been building due to several violent clashes in the years prior, including a brutal foul by Athletic's Andoni Goikoetxea on Maradona months earlier that had left the Barcelona star with a broken ankle.

In the end, 60 people needed medical treatment and Maradona plus several other players received lengthy bans.

The shocking events of the 1984 Copa del Rey final remain a black mark on the history of the Athletic-Barcelona rivalry.

4 sources

Athletic's Super Cup Triumphs

sportskeeda.com

Athletic Bilbao has enjoyed some memorable victories over Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup in recent years. In 2015, Athletic stunned the reigning European champions Barcelona with a dominant 4-0 win in the first leg at San Mamés.

Aritz Aduriz scored a hat-trick and Sabin put the icing on the cake as Bilbao ran riot.

In the second leg at Camp Nou, Barcelona could only manage a 1-1 draw, giving Athletic a resounding 5-1 aggregate triumph.

It was a remarkable achievement for Athletic to so comprehensively defeat a Barcelona side that had won the treble the previous season. Athletic again upset Barcelona in the 2021 Spanish Super Cup final, this time winning 3-2 after extra time.

Barcelona twice took the lead through Antoine Griezmann, but each time Athletic equalized, first through Oscar de Marcos and then Asier Villalibre in the 90th minute.

In extra time, Iñaki Williams scored a stunning goal to secure the trophy for Athletic.

To add insult to injury for Barcelona, Lionel Messi was sent off in the dying moments for lashing out at Villalibre.

These Super Cup victories, achieved against the odds, have provided Athletic fans with some of their fondest memories in recent clashes with Barcelona. The 5-1 aggregate win in 2015 and the dramatic extra time triumph in 2021 showcased Athletic's fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude that has characterized the Basque club throughout its history.

4 sources

Historic Players

nytimes.com

Here are some of the most significant players who have made their mark on the Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona rivalry over the years:

Telmo Zarra is Athletic's all-time top scorer with 335 goals. He netted 14 times against Barcelona between 1940-1955, regularly tormenting the Blaugrana defense. Zarra's goals helped Athletic win several trophies during his time at the club.
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Agustín Gaínza formed a legendary partnership with Zarra at Athletic. Gaínza scored 10 goals vs Barcelona and made a record 42 appearances for Athletic in the fixture between 1940-1959.
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Johan Cruyff is one of Barcelona's greatest ever players. The Dutch maestro scored a memorable brace as Barça defeated Athletic 4-3 on aggregate in the 1976-77 UEFA Cup quarter-finals en route to winning the trophy.
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Andoni Zubizarreta is a key figure in the rivalry, having played for and captained both clubs. After starring for Athletic in the 1980s, the goalkeeper joined Barcelona in 1986 where he won multiple trophies before returning to Athletic to finish his career.
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Lionel Messi has scored a record 29 goals against Athletic, more than any other player on either side. The Argentine icon terrorized Athletic defenses between 2004-2021, scoring in 13 consecutive matches against them at one point.
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3 sources

Cultural and Political Significance

nytimes.com

The Athletic Bilbao vs Barcelona rivalry holds deep cultural and political significance, reflecting the distinct regional identities of the Basque Country and Catalonia within Spain. As the most successful clubs in their respective regions, Athletic and Barça are seen by many fans as sporting embodiments of Basque and Catalan culture.

Athletic's strict policy of only fielding Basque players is a powerful statement of regional pride and identity.

It represents a form of Basque nationalism through sport, in contrast to the centralized Spanish identity historically associated with clubs like Real Madrid.

Barcelona also symbolizes Catalan identity and has been a focal point for Catalan nationalism, with the club motto "Més que un club" (More than a club) encapsulating its social and political importance.

Matches between Athletic and Barcelona thus carry extra meaning as a clash of two proudly autonomous regions against the backdrop of a historically centralist Spanish state.

Under the Franco dictatorship which suppressed regional cultures, the clubs became even more important to Basques and Catalans as a means of expressing their identity.

Although the rivalry is intense, it is more fraternal than the animosity between Barcelona and Real Madrid, as Athletic and Barça are united by their opposition to Spanish centralism.