A dossier of intel on one-off Athletic Bilbao as Rangers find out the truth (2025)

Record Sport takes an in-depth look at the Spanish side who stand between the Ibrox side and a place in the last four of the Europa League

Rangers fans are dreaming of Europa League glory after reaching the last eight but they’ll need to avoid a mauling in the Lions’ den if they want to return to Bilbao for the showpiece.

Gers blazed a trail to Seville for the 2022 final and the date of May 21 is now circled on this year’s calendar for another epic trip to sunny Spain.

However, Athletic Bilbao believe that is their own date with destiny, given the Europa League comes to a climax inside their San Mames stadium.

Here, Record Sport takes a closer look at Los Leones ahead of the quarter-final first leg at Ibrox this week.

The Pride of Lions

While many major European clubs talk about upholding traditions, Athletic Bilbao are the only ones who practise what they preach.

What makes them unique is the fact that, since 1912, they’ve only fielded players who were born within the Basque Country or played youth football with a Basque club.

Most of their players either come through the club’s world-class academy or are snapped up from rival Basque clubs such as Real Sociedad, Alaves and Osasuna.

Of the team that started their 3-1 win over Roma in the last 16, only three players – Oscar De Marcos, Yuri Berchiche and Marian Sannadi – started their careers at other clubs.

Their signing policy puts a premium on transfer fees - both incoming and outgoing. Most of Bilbao’s stars are on long-term deals with huge buyout clauses while they are often held to ransom when trying to buy Basque talent.

With most of the squad coming through the ranks together, Bilbao will present a different challenge to Rangers than the Fenerbahce side they defeated in the last 16.

Jose Mourinho and his star players were tempted to Turkey by bumper pay cheques but every Bilbao player fights with a passion for the cause.

One-Club Heroes

With such a strong sense of identity, many players who come through the ranks in Bilbao spend their whole career with the club.

The list of legends includes record scorer Telmo Zarra, who netted 335 times between 1940 and 1955, keeper Jose Angel Iribar, who made over 600 appearances before retiring in 1980, and elegant playmaker Julen Guerrero, the beating heart of the side throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Since 2015, Athletic have handed out the One-Club Award to players who have loyally served other teams, with Celtic’s Billy McNeill the recipient in 2019.

They have close ties with the Hoops and came to Glasgow two years ago for the testimonial of James Forrest, another one-club hero.

Brothers Beyond

We’ve seen plenty of brothers light up international football before, with Bobby and Jack Charlton lifting the World Cup with England and the De Boer twins dazzling for the Dutch.

But Athletic Bilbao duo Inaki and Nico Williams are breaking new ground by playing for different countries at the same time.

Born in Bilbao to Ghanaian parents, Inaki represented the Black Stars at the last World Cup in Qatar but younger sibling Nico decided to nail his colours to the Spanish mast.

It proved to be a wise decision as he played a starring role in their Euro 2024 triumph, with the winger scoring in the final against England.

Both will present a huge threat to Rangers across the two legs, with Nico offering pace and trickery down the left flank and Inaki providing power and poise, either through the middle or wide on the right,

Back where he belongs

Few figures embody what Athletic Bilbao means more than manager Ernesto Valverde, who is now in his third spell at the helm.

A former player, his first stint between 2003 and 2005 was a success as he steered a hitherto underperforming squad to fifth place in La Liga and a return to European football.

After eight years away, which saw him steer Espanyol to a UEFA Cup Final and lift five trophies with Olympiacos in Greece, Valverde made a triumphant return to the San Mames.

He led them to a Champions League slot in his first season back then oversaw a 5-1 aggregate thrashing of Barcelona to land the Spanish Super Cup in 2015, Bilbao’s first trophy for 31 years.

Suitably impressed, Barca named Valverde as Luis Enrique’s successor in 2017 and he delivered four trophies in three seasons.

A two-year break from football ended when Bilbao tempted him back in 2022 and the master is working his magic one more.

He led them to the Spanish Cup last term but this season has the potential to be even more memorable, with Athletic on course for a Champions League slot and chasing Europa League glory.

Valverde is more pragmatic than the swashbuckling Marcelo Bielsa, who led a thrilling Athletic side to the 2012 Europa League Final, and it will be a feather in Barry Ferguson’s cap if he can outmanoeuvre such a vastly experienced coach,