By Mohamed Haniff
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| This is what's brewin'? |
Throughout the course of Spanish football history there have only been three teams who have not faced the bitter disappointment of relegation from the top flight. No prizes for guessing that the first two are the notorious Real Madrid and Barcelona, however it may come as a surprise that Athletic Bilbao have never been axed from the Primera since the league's inception in 1928.
This fact becomes even more impressive when one takes into consideration that Athletic Bilbao are only able to register players of Basque ancestry in their 25 man squad. Athletic Bilbao can also boast of being the fourth best side in La Liga's 83 year history, trailing behind Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. For a long time in the early part of the 21st century the Basque side have found themselves too often flirting with the relegation zone.
This fact becomes even more impressive when one takes into consideration that Athletic Bilbao are only able to register players of Basque ancestry in their 25 man squad. Athletic Bilbao can also boast of being the fourth best side in La Liga's 83 year history, trailing behind Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. For a long time in the early part of the 21st century the Basque side have found themselves too often flirting with the relegation zone.
Last season however, Los Leones as they are affectionately known, finished a dizzying 6th in the tables to earn themselves a spot in the Europa League; the emergence of players such as Fernando Llorente and JaviMartinez to name but two of the pearls currently plying their trade in Biscay, has helped to bring about this sense of intrigue surrounding the club.
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| Llorente celebrates his goal for Athletic Bilbao |
Llorente a classic number 9, if one subscribes to such notions, is an atypical representation of the current state of the Spanish game, which finds itself dominated by small players who intuitively flit around the box, conjuring up bits of magic. Llorente however stands at 6'5 and makes his best impression inside the opponent's 18 yard box, his size however does not take away from his skill, as it seems being Spanish in this era means being blessed with exceptional technique. The Lion King as he is known to the supporters of Bilbao, notched an impressive 18 goals in La Liga last term and is perhaps unquestionably one of the leaders of this golden generation in Basque football. At twenty six years old Fernando is entering his prime as a striker and is perhaps now in pole position to lead this Athletic side to the summits of Spanish football.
Operating behind Fernando is one of the brightest talents in Spain at the moment; though playing for a team outside of the big two has allowed him to fly under the radar of the global media. Eighteen year old Iker Muniain unlike Llorente represents what many deem to be the current model of a Spanish footballer, imbued with speed of thought and a great touch, the young man has been moved from the wing into a more central area. In this zone he moves freely and generally facilitates the play with his incisive passing and quick one touch approach. His movement in between the lines of midfield is pivotal, both in creating and seeing space on the field to be exploited; much in the way Andres Iniesta or David Silva operate for club and country. Iker is surely on his way to becoming a bonafide star should he develop in the way that many believe he can.
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| Wonderkid Iker Munian |
The final piece of the puzzle is another player cut from the cloth of the great Spanish midfielders of yesteryear. At twenty three years old Javi Martinez is the future of the pivot role in the Spanish national team. An assured passer of the ball and an exceptional reader of the game, he has often drawn comparisons to the likes of Xabi Alonso, his Basque bretheren. Under new coach Marcelo Bielsa, Martinez has been shuffled into the backline when the team employs its unorthodox 3-3-1-3. While this can be seen as a strange move, Bielsa's defenders in this setup operate so high up the pitch, they often find themselves occupying space usually reserved for midfielders; in that sense having someone who is comfortable on the ball like Javi could prove to be a master stroke.
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| The omnipresent Javier Martinez |
In terms of their tactical setup los Leones have brought in Marcelo “El Loco”Bielsa from the Chilean national side to man the reigns after a presidential change saw the expulsion of the successful Caparros. While Caparros got the results for the Basques, the fans were not always left feeling satisfied with his approach to the game. Bielsa however brings with him the promise of a mini revolution in the Basque side. Unable to bring in any players who are not of Basque descent, he has had to work with what he was given. This has meant that he has had to retrain the way in which these players think in order to get them to understand his radical approach to the game. On the other side of the coin, despite the lack of turnover means that the team still keeps a core of players who are familiar with each other and understand each others game.
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Picture taken from zonalmarking.net |
In Bielsa's formation seen above the team focuses on a patient build up play from the back, while transitioning to a breakneck offensive speed once the ball arrives in the attacking zone. They seek to create triangles all around the pitch and overload the opponent when approaching the area. The above formation can easily be switched from the 3-3-1-3 to the ever reliable 4-2-3-1 at the drop of a hat; thus emphasizing the importance of footballing intelligence for these players. In order for this type of system to work the players must always understand what is expected of them in their roles.
It has been a rocky start for Bilbao as the players and the manager get used to the new conditions which they now find themselves, however this is surely one of the more interesting projects unfolding in Spain's La Liga. As I type this, Los Leones are laying a beating on their Basque neighbours Osasuna by combining the Bilbao of old with the new ideas brought to the table by Bielsa. Should this click into gear, one can't help but feel that they are more than capable of achieving a Champions league berth; aiming to behead the two headed monster that is Real Madrid and Barcelona may be too much for the Basques, but surely a place in the most illustrious club competition in the world would be enough to satisfy the hungry lions.
Mohamed Haniff was kind enough to write this article for us, so we're showing our appreciation for his contribution. Join the discussion, leave a comment!
