The reason Celtic and Athletic Bilbao share a close bond that ‘goes beyond football’
The Spanish side are set to take on Rangers in the last eight of the Europa League but share a strong link with the HoopsEvery weekend a large group of Hoops fans gather in Bilbao’s Plaza Nueva to watch Celtic in action in Bar Negresco.
But where does the bond come from? The Athletic Bilbao website featured the supporters’ club before the teams met in Glasgow for James Forrest’s testimonial a couple of years ago.A feature on the club’s website says it’s a connection “that goes beyond football” and in an interview with Tony, who founded Bilbao Boys CSC in 2019, says it can be traced back to a friendly between the sides in Spain during an international break in 2011.
It might have been a friendly but given Neil Lennon’s competitive nature he still didn’t take kindly to a decision by the official – and was sent to the stand in a goalless draw.But, that aside, it was a day when the fans of both sides formed a bond and Lennon said before the game: “Both clubs share a similar philosophy, tradition and history.”
Former Hoops striker Anthony Stokes placed flowers at the bust of former Athletic Bilbao striker Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, known simply as Pichichi.
Tony said: “The bond started in 2011 in that friendly in the old San Mames. It was nice to see Pablo Orbaiz with Anthony Stokes putting the flowers down at Pichichi. It was a really nice moment and I think that was where the bond between Athletic and Celtic started.
