What is the Basque rule?

I really dont understand, what it is Someone please explain

Athletic Club don't buy/use any players with no Basque heritage.

Trust Jamie to be the first one to post.

But yeah, that.

Who has Basque heritage? And why dont they?

Euskaltel-Euskadi cycling team also adopt the same policy, it's good to see.

It isn't a rule... It is just a choice they made and have stuck with.


Bit like saying my club is only buying white players basically.

Braad wrote:Who has Basque heritage? And why dont they?

Anyone who was born in Basque areas of Spain, or have Basque ancestry.

They don't because it's their tradition, they don't identify with Spain and want to keep their unique identity in place.

Cheers guys, really didnt understand. Do now though

Polska told me there is a Basque area of France too.

They don't because back in the day (50's, 60's), All Spanish clubs had a rule imposed where you were only allowed 3 or so foreigners on a team (though some clubs, notable Barca, Real and Valencia got around that by using second nationalities), some clubs, particularly Bilbao, took it a step further and decided to keep purely local by only having Basque players.

When the rule was disbanded years later, Bilbao decided to keep with tradition and keep the Basque-only rule. To this day, they don't sign any non-basque players.

Who is a Basque?

The definition has changed over the years, and as of late has definitely lightened. Today I think Athletic Bilbao considers someone Basque when..:

*) They are born in the Basque lands of Spain and France
*) They are of Basque heritage through the Grandfather Rule for international football
*) Has grown up in the Basque lands
*) Has learned their football in the Basque lands (thus product of Athletic or any other Basque clubs youth system)

And maybe something else I've missed.

Though they have had foreign managers and staff before, this rule today applies just to the footballing squad.

James wrote:It isn't a rule... It is just a choice they made and have stuck with.


Bit like saying my club is only buying white players basically.

There are black kids in Athletic Bilbao's academy.

James ♠ wrote:Polska told me there is a Basque area of France too.

There is a region where basque people stay in brazil.

They also sign some Spanish players under a certain age as well, even if they aren't Basque I believe.

polska. wrote:

James ♠ wrote:It isn't a rule... It is just a choice they made and have stuck with.


Bit like saying my club is only buying white players basically.

There are black kids in Athletic Bilbao's academy.

It was a joke Polska.

Dan wrote:They also sign some Spanish players under a certain age as well, even if they aren't Basque I believe.

I believe that is just FM's rule of coping with the "Learned Football in Basque Lands" rule, to make the regen naming system for basques to work or something.

polska. wrote:

Dan wrote:They also sign some Spanish players under a certain age as well, even if they aren't Basque I believe.

I believe that is just FM's rule of coping with the "Learned Football in Basque Lands" rule, to make the regen naming system for basques to work or something.

Is it? I'm sure I read it somewhere.

Real Sociedad did the same until 1989 when they signed John Aldridge.

I think if a team in England publicly did this then there would be big "racism" cry.

More like Basgay rule.

Amirite?

I didn't know there was a Basque region in France

Jay.Davies11 wrote:I didn't know there was a Basque region in France

Well now you do!

Deschamps was Basques.

Lux wrote:I think if a team in England publicly did this then there would be big "racism" cry.

In the modern day? Probably. But Bilbao has done this since their inception, and race has nothing to do with it, so it's viewed differently.

polska. wrote:

Jay.Davies11 wrote:I didn't know there was a Basque region in France

Well now you do!

Deschamps was Basques.

I did once go Bilbao on FM and I was allowed to sign a Frenchie

dena wrote:In the modern day? Probably. But Bilbao has done this since their inception, and race has nothing to do with it, so it's viewed differently.

Ethnicity is arguably as important

Lux wrote:I think if a team in England publicly did this then there would be big "racism" cry.

That's because this country is full of mongoloids.

So if I am born in America but my family moves to Spain's Basque region when I am like 5 and I grow up there, can I sign for Bilbao?

Lux wrote:

dena wrote:In the modern day? Probably. But Bilbao has done this since their inception, and race has nothing to do with it, so it's viewed differently.

Ethnicity is arguably as important

I can definitely agree with that, but there is something about the fact that they don't discriminate vs. race and have done this since their inception that forces people to think about tradition over discrimination. I do like the fact that they want to keep the club close to the community and thus get in a lot of local kids and people who can identify with the culture of Bilbao, but there is more than one way to look at it.

Mustangt125 wrote:So if I am born in America but my family moves to Spain's Basque region when I am like 5 and I grow up there, can I sign for Bilbao?

Wait.. nope

I think living there over a certain time is a factor but because it's an unofficial country you can only assume citizenship or whatever you want to call it. With Amorebieta, he was raised there which I'm unsure of whether that's a factor, and his parents were Basque which meant he could play. Despite being born in Venezuela

dena wrote:I can definitely agree with that, but there is something about the fact that they don't discriminate vs. race and have done this since their inception that forces people to think about tradition over discrimination. I do like the fact that they want to keep the club close to the community and thus get in a lot of local kids and people who can identify with the culture of Bilbao, but there is more than one way to look at it.

I'm fine with it......our academy is one of the best so if everyone had the rules we'd be a Premier League team

Dan wrote:

Lux wrote:I think if a team in England publicly did this then there would be big "racism" cry.

That's because this country is full of mongoloids.

Mongolians?

I just finished reading Morbo. It's funny how Athletic worships English football.