Video Library: Athletic Club Women’s debut in Europe (2003)

We look back on a historic day for Athletic Club: August 21, 2003, when our first women’s team, after winning the league in its first edition, made its debut in European competition.

After that first participation, the lionesses played up to four more times in the UEFA Women’s Champions League: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2016-17.

In their UEFA Women’s Champions League debut match, Athletic Club beat the Austrian SV Neulengbach 2-0, thanks to goals from Irantzu and Gurutze. The match was played at Santa Lucia’s field, in Gernika, in front of many red-and-white supporters who went to enjoy that historical day for our lionesses.

The Athletic group was completed by the Portuguese Dezembro and the German FFC Frankfurt, who finished first with the only place available in the next round and were finally runners-up in that edition of the competition.

The line-ups were as follows:

Athletic Club: 1. Uguzne, 2. Uriagereka, 3. Vanessa, 4. L. Zabala, 6. Itziar, 8. Tzibi J., 11. Orueta, 14. Iraia, 17. Ibarra R., 19. Gurutze and 20. Eba.
Substitutes: 25. Leguina, 5. Gaztelu, 7. Lexuri, 9. Belén, 10. J. Guarrotxena, 24. Irune M. and 28. Irantzu.

SV Neulengbach: Alexandra, Susanne, Melanie, Silvia, Brigitt, Claudia, Gahleitner, Martina, Natascha, Silvia and Maria.
Substitutes: 21. Reischer, 2. Brand, 6. Groebmer, 7. Kaspar, 9. Schaffer, 11. Bauer and 15. Gratsch.