Athletic Club Women will have a side in each of the top three tiers of domestic women’s football, the only such case in the game. Athletic Women B’s extra-time 1-2 play-off victory over Madrid CFF B at Carabanchel guaranteed their survival in the Segunda División Femenina – which is set to be renamed Primera RFEF next season.

It was a win against the odds as the reserve side had struggled on the road all campaign. Ainhize Arana, who turned 17 recently, scored the decisive goal in a match which seemed set to go to penalties.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Athletic Club’s reserves will now compete in the restructured, single-group division Primera RFEF along with 16 other clubs. What’s more, the triumph also allows the Lionesses’ third team to jump up to the Segunda RFEF, a brand new third tier.

The second division will consist of the two teams relegated from Primera Iberdrola, Rayo Vallecano and SD Eibar, in addition to other clubs with top-flight pedigrees, such as RCDE Espanyol, Deportivo Abanca, Dux Logroño, Real Oviedo, Granada CF and Fundación Albacete.

Rounding off this demanding league will be SE AEM Lleida, CP Cacereño, UDG Tenerife B, CA Osasuna, Ginelux CD Juan Grande, FC Barcelona B and Córdoba CF.

It is a division of tough opponents who will provide the perfect test for our up-and-coming Lionesses. Especially for the likes of Clara Pinedo, Alejandra Estefanía, Naia Landaluze, Mariana Cerro and Sara Ortega, who have already been handed first-team debuts by Iraia Iturregi in recent years.

Athletic Women C move up from the Primera Nacional to the RFEF Segunda after finishing the season in third place, behind Bizkerre and Osasuna B. This new tier will be made up of 32 teams, split into two groups of 16.

Athletic Club’s third team was created in 2019/20 and since then they have been promoted every season, going from from Liga Territorial to Liga Vasca, from Liga Vasca to Primera Nacional and this season, under coach Ekaitz García and thanks to the “B” team, they climbed up to the Segunda RFEF (Third Division) from the Primera Nacional.

The success of theses two youth sides, plus the Under-15s and Under 13s, along with the first team, teams) continue to demonstrate that the youth academy is on the right track and that the Athletic Club philosophy can prosper in women’s football too.