Athletic Bilbao: Basque-ing in Glory

[leckuno]

View attachment 68115

​

So I've decided to start one of the more difficult saves on Football manager. So with Bilbao most of you will know the main challenge with Bilbao is the fact that you can only sign players from the Basque area of Spain or Spaniards who are 16y/o or younger so they have their football education in the Basque region.

How many seasons will it take for me to topple Barca and Real and become champions of Spain and Europe.


With this save we will be looking at the youth academy and trying to bring through as many players as possible. On the upside of this though Athletic Bilbao has had more players representing Spain than any other Spanish club – including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Let the save begin​

 

[leckuno]

So with having to develop our own players I have done a massive revamp of our staff and brought in a lot of new coach's, scouts and physio's but I don't see me changing them for a while now.

The main person I have brought in though is Wim Jonk as the new Head of Youth Development so I hop he is able to bring in some top quality youth products over the next few years.


For Transfers I have brought in a few regens that have started the game without clubs since they are all 16 and under.

Pre-Season has gone reasonably well but I won't go into too much detail and save it for competitive games.

​

First of which will come in the next update where we have been drawn against Aberdeen in the 3rd qualifying round of the Europa League

 

[leckuno]

July/August

Aberdeen: 0
Bilboa: 1 (Sola 92)

Aduriz really struggled in this game which doesn't bode well for the rest of the season but we'll see how he goes but Sola came on with 10 minutes to go and managed to give us the all important away goal.


Bilboa: 3 (Garcia 24, Williams 51, Muniain 64)
Aberdeen: 1 (Rooney 31)

A good 4-1 aggregate win with all the goals coming from midfield where most of the goals will come from. Next up Maritimo in the final play off.


Maritimo: 0
Bilboa: 1 (Aduriz 4)

Aduriz with the only goal to give us the vital away goal so maybe there is life left in the old dog.


Celta: 2 (Jonny 25, Aspas 77)
Bilboa: 3 (Aspas o.g 3, San Jose 79, Williams 83)

Personally thought after we went 2-1 down that was going to be us but what a comeback with 2 goals in 4 minutes to win us the first game of the season.

Bilboa: 1 (Sola 31)
Maritimo: 1 (Bessa 36)

We are through to the Europa League where the board expect us to reach the quarter finals so fingers crossed we get a good draw for the group stages.

Bilboa: 3 (Herrera 12, Aduriz 45+2, Merino 82)
Barcelona: Luis Suarez (1, 17)

Got to say that after going 1-0 down in the first minute I thought we were onto a pounding but the second coming of Herrera was great only down side was he got injured and now out for the next 4 weeks.

So I decided to bring in one player for a good chuck of our budget. A Whopping 12.5 million but considering when he left the club it was for 29 million but I just couldn't not sign Ander Herrera when I aw he was interested for a fraction of what he was worth. He will slide into the midfield well.

On the transfer scene we also brought in Borja Viguera on transfer deadline day to play back up to Aduriz


So we have been given a tougher draw than I would like but I feel that we should finish in the top 2 of that group if we can do well at home.

View attachment 68001


League Table

​View attachment 67985​

 

[leckuno]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]September

[/FONT]Alaves: 0
Bilboa: 2 (Iturraspe 20, Aduriz 86)

Great win after the international break with all the players raring to go


Bilboa: 3 (Susaeta 21, Aduriz 24, Sola 64)
Hajduk: 0 (Fomitschow 36, Said 83)

Hajduk finished the game with 9 men so we took advantage and top the group after game one

Bilboa: 3 (Viguera 7, Williams 25, Viguera 39)
Deportivo : 2( Andone 4, Bakkali 80)

What debut for Viguera debuting for the injured Aduriz pretty much had the game won at half time but there were a few nervous moments in the final 10 minutes

Leganes: 1 (Amrabat)
Bilboa: 2 (Garcia 33, Viguera 64)

A great win to keep our 100% record intact and over an opposition we should be beating. Only down side to this game was Muniain broke his foot and will now be out for the next 3 months

Bilboa: 1 (Garcia 27)
Sevilla : 0

A big win for the club and gives us a massive confidence boost against one of our competitors for a European place.

Everton: 0
Bilboa: 1 (Herrera 62)

Herrera wins the game with an absolute screamer from 21 yards out into the top corner.


View attachment 67926

​

 

[coolmcool]

I love a Bilbao save, did one on here a couple of years ago, Aduriz has obviously aged even more since then but he was awesome for me smashing in the goals even at like 36, KIU

 

[leckuno]

October

​

Getafe: 0​

Bilboa: 3 (Aduriz 19, Benat 52, Laporte 79)

A great away win for the team and goals coming from a player in each area of the pitch

​

Valencia: 3 (Soler 3, Zaza 18, Rodrigo 74)
Bilboa: 3 (Benat 7, 61, Susaeta 90 +2)

If I was given a draw before the game then I would of jumped at this especially with scoring the equaliser in the final minute

Hoffenheim: 0 (Ochs 21)
Bilboa: 4 (Susaeta 9, Garcia 11, Susaeta 47, San Jose 75)

A great win to take a commanding lead of the group and should hopefully see us top the group

Bilboa: 2 (Aduriz 19, 33)
Real Madrid: 2 (Varane 11, Bale 20)

All the action in the first half here and a great result for the lads


Marbella: 1 (Corpas 1)
Bilboa: 3 (Rico 5, Viguera 25, 84)

A great comeback after going 1-0 down in the first minute. Viguera showing that he was a good signing for 475k


Bilboa: 3 ( Williams 8, Herrera, 58, Williams 61)
Real Sociedad: 1 (Juanmi 91)

An outstanding win against our main rivals and I don't think it could go any better apart from the last minute goal conceded


League Table

View attachment 67786





​

 

[leckuno]

November



​

Bilboa: 3 (Viguera 11, 66, Williams 89))
Hoffenheim: 1(Amiri 50)
​

A great away win for the team considering it was a second string team out and this has guaranteed our top 2 status in the group.


​

Eibar : 0​

Bilboa: 2 (Aduriz 8, Laporte 12)

A good win with the first team back out maintain our lead at the top of the league​

​

Bilboa: 1 (Garcia 16)
Espanyol: 0

​

A scrappy win but we'll take it​

Hajduk: 0
​

Bilboa: 1 (Aduriz 51)

Another good win in the Europa league with the back up players securing the win

​

Las Palmas: 0​

Bilboa: 2 (Herrera 64, Susaeta 86)
​

A great win again with the first team out and a great second half performance. Herrera repaying his 12.5 million transfer back home as well


​

Bilboa: 4 (Garcia 10, Viguera 42, Williams 48, Garcia 62)​

Marbella : 0

​

A commanding victory in the second leg of the Copa del Rey tie which will then see us come up against Valencia in the 5th round


League Table

View attachment 67717

Barca and Real are struggling in the leage with myself, Celta Vigo and Real Betis ll doing well above expectations. Wonder how long this will last.

​

 

[leckuno]

December



​

Bilboa: 1 (San Jose 39)
Real Betis: 0
​

Another scrappy win, the strikers really need to kick in with some more goals soon

​

Bilboa: 4 (Laporte 6, Williams16, 59, Garcia 70)
Everton:1 (Sigurosson 53)

An excellent win to give us a 100% win rate in the group stages with 16 goals scored and only 2 conceded


Bilboa: 2 (Viguera 33, Williams 83)
Girona: 0

A good win with the reserves coming in to give most people a rest with the game coming 2 days after the Everton game

Malaga : 0
Bilboa: 1 (Iturraspe)

With games coming thick and fast a mixed team of first team players and reserves grind out a 1-0 win

Levante: 1(Nano 83)
Bilboa: 1 (Susaeta 8)

A disappointing result as we were on top for most of the game but just couldn't make our chances count

Bilboa: 1 (Viguera 77)
Athletico Madrid : 1 (Vrsaljko 68)

I'll take this any day of the week against Athletico but Viguera seems to be making a stake foe getting the main striker role


League Table

View attachment 67674

I feel the main challenge for January will be trying to hold onto my players as PSG and Man Utd are sniffing round a few players
​