Sixteen players from Lezama have made their debut in the two top teams this season

Athletic Club’s young players’ reserve is always on the boil and is complying with all the objectives that the club is working towards i.e. to provide the premier team with players without focussing on their achievements and keeping in mind the difficulties that these players face whilst playing for their teams. In fact, to date 16 players, who have trained in Lezama, have made their debut in the club’s two top teams this season.

Five Bilbao Athletic players have made their debut in First Division during the 2005/2006 season: Ibon Gutiérrez and Francisco Javier Tarantino (who are currently on loan to Numancia in Soria), Mikel Dañobeitia (14 matches), Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora (5 match) and Fernando Amorebieta (7 matches).

Baskonia players; Aitor Alcalde, Ander Gago, Antón Olondo, Sergio Hernández and Ion Vélez have made their debut as members of the Bilbao Athletic team this season, not to mention the recent appearance of Urko Arroyo, Beñat Etxebarria, Anaitz Arbilla and Gaizka Bergara, Urko, Beñat and Anaitz could still be considered juniors because of their age.

What’s more Baskonia is the youngest team playing in Third Division. Their usual line up is made up by 8 junior players and 3 players who were born in 1986. Moreover, if these players were still in the Junior Honour division, they would most certainly be the stars of a team who are the current leaders of the competition, despite the efforts made by Zaragoza, Osasuna and Real Sociedad to topple them off the top of the league ladder.

Sports coordinator Txema Noriega states ‘we work towards the players’ future. Obviously we want our teams to be as successful as possible, the results achieved by Bilbao Athletic, Baskonia etc. take second place, we’d like to make all our players more competitive so that they can become members of the Premier team one day, which is reason behind the existence of these lower division teams in Lezama’.