Take a trip to the Basque Country with us as we recount one of the most unique derbies in all of football — one where opposing fans coexist not just peacefully, but amicably in both the streets and the stands.
Bilbao’s Pozas Street provides some of the most vibrant football vibes in all of Europe, especially on derby day. Today is that day, and I’m surrounded by a horde of people covered in both the red and white of Athletic Club and blue and white of Real Sociedad.
For most derbies with hundreds of years of history, mingling in the streets amongst both sets of fans might not be the best idea — but this is everything but a normal rivalry match. Football derbies typically elicit a certain image of violence, rowdiness, and general debauchery, but not the Basque derby.
The vitriol and aggression normally seen between rival fan groups is replaced by one of celebration. Both Athletic Club and Real Sociedad fans chant together, something rarely seen in the sport, especially in a rivalry. In the Basque Country, you party with your neighbors. Loud chants merge with the laughs and shouts of the fans enjoying themselves on a derby day.
The Basque Derby is truly unlike any other. It’s where rivalry on the pitch turns into camaraderie in the stands. Athletic Club and Real Sociedad fans celebrate their shared Basque identity and pride, side by side. But local bragging rights still remain the prize of the day.
Bilbao is a vibrant coastal city that overlooks nature and culture in every form. A big mural with the word Soñar (to Dream) rules the city skyline. I know it’s like a shiny neon sign that you’d see at a smash burger gastropub, but I like it. Because this is how I feel every time I come to this city.
Those walks through the streets continue every time I come to Bilbao. I have just discovered my routine here. I like an easy plan — sit down and observe how people eat pintxos while drinking the popular txakoli wine, beer, or local cider.
Here’s where the friendly derby is based. All of them are Basques above everything else. Sure, everyone chooses their own colors, but that seems more of a side order to the main dish.
Athletic Club and Real Sociedad fans live together with no problems, they just chill. Of course they want to win and compete, because they play hard. Here up in the North, people know how to fight. They’re brave and hard people, no doubts. It’s about their word and honor. When you have a Basque friend, you’ll have one for the rest of your life. Trust me on this.
Athletic Club and Real Sociedad mean the world for their fans. Their love for their team is something else, and the pre-match atmosphere is still one of my favorites. As morning turns into derby day afternoon, you can’t get out from the collective hysteria of joy.
Coming of age in such a diverse football environment must be exciting as anything. Exploring the endless bars, remembering those first beers and long pre-matches with your mates. And that song comes up to my mind when I got back to my first Basque Derby in 2012 in Bilbao with Marcelo Bielsa rocking at Athletic Club. Those old but gold days that make you realize how much older you have become.
“Aurrera Aurrera Patxi ilari ilari eh
Hemen egongo gara irabazi arte!”
Photography by Ignasi Torné Gualdo.
