french basque footballers
The Basque Country national football team ( Euskal selekzioa) selects players from the Greater Basque region comprising the Basque Autonomous Community ( Biscay, lava and Gipuzkoa) plus neighbouring Navarre - the historical home of the Basque people but in modern times has a distinct identity which is only partly Basque, and home to CA Osasuna He now has an eye for goal and is able to pull all of the strings in the middle of the pitch. You won't be finding first team ready players at any of these clubs. 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. Save Objectives. History. [1] Permission was duly granted and the racetrack became the new home of organised football in Viscaya. The Athletic Club winger would be a great player opposite toGriezmann for the Basques, as both would be able to beat defenders with pace and also provide assistance in defence. The representative team is run by the Basque Football Federation. Thorgan Hazard. The resultant Champions League campaign in 2003-04 saw Deschamps lead Monaco all the way to the final, the sixth of his career. For now,EuskalSelekzioahas to settle for one friendly every year. Of 25 Athletic players to appear in La Liga this season, 21 are Basque (plus four from Navarre) and 17 played for the club before first-team level. So the Basque team only played club sides, playing four matches, winning one and losing two. 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. Also played in 1 additional unofficial wartime match in 1938: See, Only played in two unofficial wartime internationals: See, Only played in eight unofficial wartime international matches: See, Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 22:36, Basque Country national football team results, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1965, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1913, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1937, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches), Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1953, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1936, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1947, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1985, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1920, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1962, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1940, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1933, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1938, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1960, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1988, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1934, Spain national football team results (unofficial matches)#1966, "Xabi Alonso, Fernando Llorente and the Best Basque Players: A Starting XI", "Basque Greatest All-time 23 member team", "Catalonia and Basque Country reignite call for independent national football identities", "Basque Country: The Spain internationals playing for a different team", List of all Basque players who have played international football, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Basque_footballers&oldid=1140192464, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 22:36. Olympic Games selection only, no full caps. Was selected for the tournament squad but never made his debut. Sarramagna represented France and played in Saint-tiennes defeat to Bayern Munich in the 1976 European Cup final. 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. With that in mind, this article will take a look at what the Basque national team could look like today, as well as discussing just how competitiveEuskalHerriacould really be. [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. There are several veteran players that would be able to lead the team, as well as plenty of young stars that would provide energy and a strong work ethic. In the time after, Basque football was dragged through politics, with locals banned from showing autonomy, and the Basque Country national football team playing a few games during the 36-year dictatorship. Bixente Jean-Michel Lizarazu ( Basque pronunciation: [biente lisarasu], born 9 December 1969) is a French former professional footballer who played as a left back for Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, among other teams. [5], The Basques' summer 2019 fixture away to Panama[80] did little to enhance their credentials. In 1937 the first president of the Basque autonomous region Jos Antonio Aguirre, who in his youth had been a player for Athletic Bilbao, decided to send a Basque football team abroad with the dual aim of raising money to fund the cost of the civil war, and also as a form of propaganda letting the world know about the conflict in Spain. This is rugby union territory. Throughout the years, Basque players have helped the Spanish national team achieve success. In Vitoria-Gasteiz there is Alavs, who went from fourth-tier football to Uefa Cup finalists in just over a decade in the 1990s. 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. Photograph: Michele Limina/EPA, Steven Scragg for These Football Times, part of the Guardian Sport Network. Javi Martinez needs no introduction. When looking at a possible Basque national team, it important to realise that there is truly no way of knowing what the team would actually look like. [51] Don Santiago Bernabu had the honour of kicking off. Bernard Blancan, actor. With the game becoming increasingly popular, the indigenous game of Basque pelota would soon come under threat, so much so that the Atotxa Stadium in San Sebastin forced nearby pelota courts to be demolished in order to make way for renovations, or more specifically, increase the capacity to 20,000. Who would choose to play for the team and what effect would it have on Spain and France? Only played in one unofficial wartime internationals: See, Also played in 2 additional unofficial wartime matches in 1937 and 1938: See. (Playing on PS5 btw) Reply . Imanol Agirretxe has also turned out to be quite a lethal finisher up front for Real Sociedad and would fight for a place as well. I know about Ruffier, Laporte and Griezmann. Next they travelled to Argentina, arriving on 25 February 1938. Success after success for both club and country followed his move to Germany. received coaching at a local club including their own youth academy, or occasionally due to family ties, although they have never signed an established professional player on this more tenuous basis). [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 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. Any chance of having the Basque national team actually competing in international tournaments is surely a long way awayif it ever is to occur. His passing ability is exquisite and he loves tracking back to make tackles as well. They have never threatened the upper divisions of the French league system but they have served as a springboard to much bigger things for several players, and for one in particular who went on to the very highest platforms available to a footballer. [29][30][31] At the same time a choir called Eresoinka was formed to tour Europe for the same purpose. If Aymeric Laporte is eligible to play for the Basque national team due to his extended bloodline and youth football, then Antoine Griezmann is certainly able to as well. 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. They are unremarkable club in so many ways. Despite this hope for an upturn in fortunes, they are unlikely to threaten the higher professional divisions, but they can still retain ambitions of unearthing the next French Basque star in the making. Can only sign and field Basque players. Saint-tienne have again benefited in the shape of Hugo Lloriss international understudy Stphane Ruffier, the goalkeeper arriving from Bayonne via a spell at Monaco. This entity played and won three games on consecutive days, and then the title after beating the Catalan club, FC Barcelona, in the final, by a score of 2 goals to 1, netted by Astorquia and the French Armand Cazeaux, both of Athletic. [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. Last December, several stars werecalled upto represent the Basque Country in a friendly against Peru at the new SanMames. Were that the case, Athletic Club winger Markel Susaeta would have no problems slotting in on the right. Eduardo Chillida, sculptor. In the end the match was cancelled. Hyperleap helps uncover and suggest. Our Basque football guide heads deep into the heart of a region that was in many respects the birthplace of football in Spain with Basque clubs playing a vital role and enjoying considerable success during those formative years. Basque Country won a penalty shootout 54. [15] Another unique aspect in the region is the emphasis that is placed on producing local talent, with Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao assessed as consistently using the highest proportion of homegrown players across the top European football leagues in the 2010s. Ander Herrera was born in the city of Bilbao, but grew up in the youth ranks of Zaragoza. In Spain, Catalonia has received major attention over the years due to the success of Barcelona and calls for independence. If Laporte was to snub the Basque national team for France, there are several other options in defence such as Mikel Gonzalez, Carlos Gurpegui and Mikel San Jose. Just three miles from Biarritz youll find Bayonne, where there is a great love of bull-fighting, which plays a large part in the five-day Ftes de Bayonne festival during early August. On 4 June of the same year they beat Catalonia 50 in Bilbao. The game was played as a fundraiser for a campaign promoting the Basque language called "Bai Euskarari", organized by Sustraiak, as a response to its suppression during the dictatorship. Currently, Martinez is leading the back line of Real Sociedad. 8 Iribar, widely known as 'El Chopo' (The Popular), is an eminent figure of Basque . Exactly 80 years ago, a French steamer called SS Winnipeg arrived in Chile, bringing 2200 Spanish refugees, many of them from the Basque country. Herrera is an engine that is constantly running and would be a major catalyst in the Basque national team. After his death in 1975, The team was up and running again, playing 26 friendly games so far against countries from around the world associated with FIFA however they themselves are not connected to FIFA. Apart from Balenziaga, Nacho Monreal is another prime candidate to start at left-back for the Basque national team if Azpilicueta stays on the right. [1] Just as in the aftermath of the 1998 victory, the black and brown diaspora will be accorded a . All of the players listed were either born or raised in the Basque region, with most meeting both of those criteria. [81][82][83][84], A provisional announcement was made for a fixture against Argentina in October 2019,[85] but this was never confirmed by the opposition federation and was soon cancelled officially. The Soviet authorities were determined to win the final game in Moscow, so the Spartak team was improved by bringing players from other parts of the country to play for the team just for that match. With the dip in fortunes of the regions rugby teams combined with the looming visage of Euro 2016 on the horizon, the traditionally rugby-centric region might just find its young people leaning a little more towards the round ball rather than the oval one in the coming years. The Basque Country amateur team is composed of players from the Tercera Divisin (Group 4) and provincial lower divisions, with eligibility criteria being club (must play for a club in the territory), age (must be between 18 and 35) and amateur status (must never have signed a contract as a professional). 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. [58] Iraragorri and Langara (two players from the 1937 team) kicked off, and Iribar served as captain. The team's first match against a nation from outside of Spain was a 32 defeat, also in May 1937, to Czechoslovakia, who had been runners up in the 1934 World Cup. Later in May they travelled again to Cuba,[47] this time playing the Cuba national team twice, before returning to Mexico. The first time was on 25 June 1966 on the 50th anniversary of Real Unin's founding. Aduriz is the Basque Country side's top goalscorer with 12 goals in 11 games, while Sociedad legend Xabi Prieto is their record appearance-maker. Notable former players include Spanish World Cup. In the summer of 1922 a team calling itself 'the Basque team' (Equipo Vasco) was sent to South America. Media related to Basque Country association football team at Wikimedia Commons. It is not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA and therefore only allowed to play friendly matches against FIFA or non-FIFA affiliated teams. There really is only one man who would be the best candidate to lead the Basque national teamAthletic Club legend Ernesto Valverde. Heading over to Pamplona, you have another Basque side in the form of Osasuna; despite last seasons relegation to the Segunda Divisin, they have been a regular presence in the Spanish top flight for many years. JA currently sits in the 7th tier, has the lowest reputation of the French-Basque clubs, has abysmal facilities and, oh yea, no stadium. Had this been one year ago, Mikel Balenziaga would not even be on the reserves of this list. Less heralded when it comes to footballing matters is the French Basque country an area made up of a union of three provinces to the north-east of the traditionally mapped Basque Country. Alonso's passing and ability to dictate play would fit in perfectly with the Basque footballing style, and he would likely be able to go forward more than usual with Martinez covering the defensive duties. He can also feature as a centre-back, which makes him a very useful player in any squad. Notable former players include Spanish World Cup. While the French Basque Country has lacked the unity of a collective team, they can call their own at the highest levels of the club game. As most of the biggest teams in the Norte federation were Basque, such as Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Real Unin, and Arenas Club de Getxo, the team fielded by the federation was often composed entirely of Basque players, and was called 'Vasconia', 'el equipo Vasco'[8](the Basque team), or sometimes just 'Norte'. The defence could be stacked as well. [97], Due to the unofficial status of the Basque Country team and others, many of the usual conventions of international football do not apply. Next came a return to Juventus where he dragged the club back from Serie B at the first time of asking after they were demoted from Serie A in 2006 in the wake of Calciopoli. On 3 January 1915 they played their first match which was against Catalonia in Bilbao and won 61,[9][10] and then on 7 February they played them again but in Barcelona, this time drawing 22. Martinez is one of the best holding midfielders in Spain and will definitely be on his way to the World Cup this summer. It selects players from the Basque Country autonomous community, Navarre and the French Basque Country [5] and is organised by the Basque Football Federation. The game ended 11. [55] The team were called the 'Seleccin Vasca' and drew 00. [citation needed]. The recent re-emergence ofAthletic Club BilbaoandRealSociedadhas put Basque football back on the map. They stayed there for three months but officially played no matches due to their problems with FIFA. Before all of these players were even born, arguably the most gifted French Basque player of all time had played his last game of football. The basque region of France is a rugby stronghold, so there aren't very many strong clubs in the region. The team made its debut on Monday 26 April 1937 in Paris's Parc des Princes against the French champions, Racing Paris, winning 03. Laporte gained Spanish citizenship due to time spent living in Biscay (2010 to 2018). From experience to young raw talent, the Basque midfield would have it all. Christian Sarramagna and Flix Lacuesta played their part in AS Saint-tiennes domination of French football in the mid-1970s. This means the Basque squads are frequently below what would be considered their 'full strength', but also means those who do take part are fully committed to the concept, and in many cases would have no other opportunities to experience international football so consider the match to be an important matter. 'The fact is that it was that derby between our two teams that had endured as my best football memory - and that is despite the fact that we lost 5-0', Iribar told El Pais 35 years later. Thanks for the lists! Also played in 1 additional unofficial wartime match in 1937: See. Martinez would form a solid pivot in front of the defensive and would partner well with the Basque midfielders. Deschamps passed through the clubs youth system, spending most of his school years there, before going on to scale all the peaks of club and international football at Marseille and Juventus. [2] By 1892 the sheer quantity of Englishmen playing football on La Campa de los Ingleses forced them to seek another pitch that could properly accommodate the growing population of Brits, and so, in November 1892, the president of Club Atleta, Enrique Jones Bird, asked for permission to play in the Hippodrome of Lamiako. France will always be France: an imperial nation whose greed, racism and cruelty know no boundaries. The United Kingdom provides one model for a sovereign state with more than one FIFA member, while the Faroe Islands is an example of an autonomous constituent country having a separate football team to the national team (Denmark). Anyone else? Lizarazu was a product of Les Eglantins youth set-up and was picked up by Bordeaux, the nearest big club to the French Basque country, a club that Bergeroo also served as a player. In May 1937, the team began to have problems with FIFA. The Basque National Team would likely utilize a 4-2-3-1 formation, as is normally the case, however, a 4-3-3 or even a 4-3-2-1 is not out of the question. A French League Cup success in his second season at Monaco was coupled with a title challenge that finished just one point shy of glory. 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