Bilbao Revisited

Just back from a visit to Bilbao as part of my latest wonderings through Spanish football (theme of a new book I am working on).

This City is much altered since I first visited it on a ferry from England some thirty years ago. The air is much cleaner, it’s got one of the best public transport systems in the world, and its river is a joy to walk along now the Guggenheim gleams nears its banks and there’s a Calatrava bridge joining one side of the city with the other.

Bilbao would indeed seem to embrace the modern civilised world were it not for the tortuously unresolved politics of the Basque country. ETA have declared  a ceasefire but neither the ruling Socialist government not the opposition Partido Popular are in a mad hurry to be seen to negotiate, in public at least.  ETA wants to see its political arm legalised and an initial deal whereby members who have been imprisoned are brought closer to where their families live prior to being released. Both the socialists and the PP believe that lifting the political ban on ETA would see the local administration in villages and towns throughout the Basque country being inundated with radical Basque nationalists, destabilising not just the region, but potentially the Spanish state.

It’s good to report on some traditions that endure. I was invited over two lengthy lunches by Basque friends to their eating clubs and treated to some superb baked fish and red wine. I was also well received by officials of Athletic Club of Bilbao, among them the legendary international goalkeeper Iribar, and was the focus of a report in the club’s official programme.

While declaring myself a Barca fan, I also said that I had a lot of respect for Athletic, a club with a very strong sense of cultural identity that still believes in home-grown talent even if its policy of ‘Basque-only players’ in its team undermines its competiveness internationally. I’m posting a copy of the  article an Athletic fan wrote on me on Facebook in the run-up next weekend’s game. I hope the Nou Camp will show Athletic as much respect as Barca was shown at the San Mames earlier this season.