Sarramagna represented France and played in Saint-tiennes defeat to Bayern Munich in the 1976 European Cup final. [104][105] The Basques retained the Spanish stage title in 200506 (hosting the semi-finals and final), but did not progress from their intermediate group in the subsequent 2007 UEFA Regions' Cup. The next Basque fixture was played in November 2020 against Costa Rica in a closed doors setting due to the issue;[88] the Basque team won the match 21. [2], Interest in the sport continued to grow among the local citizens, who began to practice it, and they even went as far as to challenge the British team in 1894 to a match at Lamiako,[4][6][7] and naturally, the much advanced British won by a resounding score (05), but the result did not discourage the enthusiastic locals who were quick to play another match as the sport was sparking high interest in the area. Laporte would have a tough decision to make if presented with the choice of playing for the Basque national team, but for this list we will include him. [2], These first football meetings were held on the quay next to the riverbank of Nervin, also known as La Campa de los Ingleses, and it was on this field that Club Atleta began to play against crews of English ships coming from Portsmouth and Southampton,[3][4] and even a new team, the Bilbao Football Club, which was also made up of British residents in the region, but not linked to the shipyards, such as Alfred Mills, who was a telegraph operator. Players who have already appeared for a FIFA national team can play for the Basques in addition, but if they are simultaneously called up for both, the FIFA squad (usually Spain) takes precedence. Inigo Martinez is seen as the future of the Spanish national team, with the 22-year-old having already made his official debut last year. 8 Iribar, widely known as 'El Chopo' (The Popular), is an eminent figure of Basque . Players who are still active for the national team are players who have not retired from football (although they may have retired from their FIFA international team) and are, subsequently, eligible to be called up. The match itself, described in the press as "boring at times", "bland" and "poor", petered out into a goalless draw in humid conditions, although both coaches stated they were satisfied with the outcome and the effort shown. [11][12] In May 1915 they won the inaugural Copa del Prncipe de Asturias tournament in Madrid after beating Catalonia 10 with a goal from Legarreta and then holding the hosts, 'Centro' (a Castile/Madrid XI), to a 11 draw, in which the author of the Basque goal was Patricio. Any chance of having the Basque national team actually competing in international tournaments is surely a long way awayif it ever is to occur. The team made its debut on Monday 26 April 1937 in Paris's Parc des Princes against the French champions, Racing Paris, winning 03. What do Basque Country (greater region), French Basque Country and List of Basque footballers have in common. With the Basque Country being a very independent area that is constantly churning out top footballing prospects, it would be amazing to see the Basque national team one day competing against other European nations. There are also current France football stars such as Kylian Mbapp, Antoine Griezmann, and N'golo Kant, who are making an impact across the globe. The Agen-born Aymeric Laporte, another player who came through the same youth system and is wanted by several Premier League clubs, has gone on to become only the second French player to appear in the red and white stripes of Athletic Bilbao. Real Sociedad are the better team in the second half, but they don't equalise . French keeper Stephane Ruffier is also Basque and could fight for a starting role. France will always be France: an imperial nation whose greed, racism and cruelty know no boundaries. During Franco's 36-year dictatorship it only played two games. Was selected for the tournament squad but never made his debut. The 21-year-old is capable of scoring wonderful goals and will regularly try his luck from distance. The Basque Country has a powerful sense of its own sovereignty, and this week, its older football figures have been remembering the significant events of 40 years ago, when, in a Real Sociedad versus Athletic match, the players took to the field bearing, proudly, the Basque flag, the ikurrina. Notable former players include Spanish World Cup. Aviron Bayonnais FC continue to play in the regionalised amateur levels of the French pyramid. Fernando Llorente is a World Cup winner and has experience playing in Europe since he joined Italian giants Juventus last summer. Bayonnes most famous son could do no wrong on the pitch. Martinez is one of the best holding midfielders in Spain and will definitely be on his way to the World Cup this summer. The team consisted of the following players: Also attached to the team were Perico Birichinaga, as a masseur, and Ricardo Irezbal and Manu de la Sota, both as delegates.[33]. [38][39] But many clubs and national sides continued to play the Basque team because they sympathised with Republican Spain which the team symbolised. It is home to Aviron Bayonnais, three-time French champions of the oval ball (although the last of those successes came in 1943). In 1980, in Vitoria, they lost 15 to Hungary. Later in May they travelled again to Cuba,[47] this time playing the Cuba national team twice, before returning to Mexico. They can be found in the fifth tier of their domestic league but are looking to return to the fourth tier after their most recent relegation in 2012-13. Includes a friendly match against former FR Yugoslavia on 26 December 1997, Record vs non-FIFA teams / As 'North' region, Matches against the 'Central Federation' (. In addition to Athletic and Bilbao FC, more teams were founded such as San Sebastin Recreation Club in 1903, the first club in San Sebastin, followed by Vasconia and Real Sociedad, and Irun FC in 1906,[7] who later changed its name to Irn Sporting Club. In the first decade of their existence Athletic selected English players for the team, but since 1912 they have adhered to a policy of allowing only players born in the Basque Country or who learned their football skills at a Basque club to play for them. [5], The Basques' summer 2019 fixture away to Panama[80] did little to enhance their credentials. Notable former players include Spanish World Cup. [2] A few months later, in February 1901, Athletic Club, probably encouraged by the first news about the founding of Bilbao FC, began conversations to officially establish the club, which they did on 5 September 1901, in the infamous meeting held in the Caf Garca, in which the 33 members decided to make it official and register as a sports organization with the local council. Only played in one unofficial wartime international: Only played in three unofficial wartime international: See. Currently, Martinez is leading the back line of Real Sociedad. Only played in one unofficial wartime international: See, Only played in two unofficial wartime international matches: See, Includes 1 match not counted by some sources: See. The Basque Country would first have to become independent to field their own team in competitive tournaments, and even then eligibility to play for the team would likely be a tense affairs with so many players having already represented other countries. Thanks for the lists! This same applies to Athletic's reserve squad and women's team - midfielder Sophie Istillart became the first female player from the French Basque country to play for the club in 2020, while Bibiane Schulze-Solano was the daughter of a Basque woman despite being raised in Germany. WhetherLlorente would elect to represent the Basque Country or not is a big question. Squad for the friendly against Costa Rica on 16 November 2020. [78] Eventually, a fixture was arranged for the Basque team to face Venezuela in October 2018 at Mendizorroza,[79] which they won 42. Bilbao captain, Jose Angel Iribar and the Sociedad captain, Inaxio Kortabarria carrying Basque national flag. In 1902, the two rivals agreed to join the best players of each club to play two games against the Bordeaux-based side Burdigala, beating them 02 in France, the first time a Bilbao team played on foreign territory, and 70 in Lamiako, the very first visit by a foreign team to Bilbao, gathering a crowd of three thousand spectators, a tremendous amount at the time. The defender from Pamplona is quick and very smart. When Bilbao was captured by Franco's forces on 19 June 1937 the Basque team were in Moscow, having been invited by the Soviet Union's Politburo due to political motivations. Most of the players stayed on in the Americas and joined teams there. [76], In October 2017, the federation confirmed that the Basque team would not play a friendly in late December that year as had become traditional (for reasons including scheduling difficulties, credibility in the football community and a noted decline in attendances at the festive matches), but instead would look to schedule a fixture during one of the FIFA International Match Calendar dates, possibly in March 2018. Jacob Elordi, actor. In 2008, a compromise was reached and it was changed again to Euskal selekzioa. Born in Dax in October 1899, to a mother from Madrid and a French father, Petit spent much of his childhood following his fathers work commitments as an engineer, moving back and forth between France and Spain on a regular basis until the family settled on the Spanish side of the Basque border in the town of Irun. Both Gipuzkoa and Biscay participated in the 1922-23 and 1923-24 Copa del Prncipe de Asturias, with the later reaching the semi-finals of the 1923-24 edition after defeating Asturias in Bilbao 42 thanks to a second-half brace from Travieso,[26] but then lost to eventual champions Catalonia, who had already eliminated Gipuzkoa from the competition. Finish off the alternatives list with quality stars such asAnder Iturraspe and Raul Garcia and we really begin to get a picture of how strong the Basque midfield can be. [84][103], The Elo rating system was adapted for football by adding a weighting for the type of match, an adjustment for the home team advantage, and an adjustment for goal difference in the match result. World Football Xabi Alonso, Fernando Llorente and the Best Basque Players: A Starting XI Michael Cerna March 8, 2012 With Barcelona's massive success in recent years, Catalunya has gotten. Despite being mainly used a left-back under manager Jose Mourinho, Azpilicueta has played the majority of his career as a right-back and will likely do so with Spain in Brazil this summer. He excels in using his physicality and ability to read the game to make things hard for opponents, while also being one of the best aerial defenders around. Including Aymeric Laporte in the Basque national team is a bit of a stretch. [90], Several organisations including the Basque Government[91] and the Basque Football Federation are trying to persuade FIFA and UEFA to accept the Basque Country as an affiliated member. The Basque Country team's estimated Elo was 1886 (fantasy rank: 16th; 31 December 2018). Olympic Games selection only, no full caps. The first game following the dictatorship was played on 2 March 1978 in San Mams against the USSR. The 25-year-old is one of the best Basque players in the world and is very experienced, having recently won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and featuring regularly in the Spain national team. Pairing Laporte and Inigo Martinez would be difficult due to both being left footed, but with their quality it would still be an incredible partnership and something that could be worked around. The game ended 11. Who would choose to play for the team and what effect would it have on Spain and France? There is, however, another Aviron Bayonnais, a team that kicks the round ball. Lizarazu was born in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, where the local footballing hero had been the goalkeeper Philippe Bergeroo, who made the squad for Frances successful Euro 84 campaign as host nation, and also went to the World Cup in Mexico in 1986. The basque region of France is a rugby stronghold, so there aren't very many strong clubs in the region. 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