Athletic Club to play Southampton FC in pre-season friendly

Athletic Club will take on Southampton FC at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, August 7 at 16:00 CEST.

The fixture is part of a mini tour of England for the Lions, as Marcelino’s side will follow up the clash on the south coast with a fixture against Liverpool FC on August 8 at Anfield (kick-off 17:00 CEST).

Known as ‘the Saints’ by their fans, Southampton are a regular in the English top-flight having played a total of 43 seasons in the top division since first getting promoted in 1966.

Last season, current manager Ralph Hasenhüttl led his side to 15^th in the Premier League. Their top goalscorer was striker Danny Ings, who scored 12 league goals in 2020-21.

Athletic have played the Saints five times before. The most recent clash took place at St Mary’s Stadium in the 2016-17 pre-season, with the Saints winning 1-0 thanks to a goal by striker Shane Long.

The first ever clash was in the first round of the 1971-72 UEFA Cup. Southampton won the first leg 2-1 at their old ground The Dell, with Arieta II getting on the scoresheet for the Lions.

Athletic progressed to the next round after second-half strikes by Ortuondo and Arieta II helped the Lions to a 2-0 win at The Cathedral.

The Saints have a well-run academy and have produced some important British players over the past 30 years, including: Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw and many others.

Athletic Club and Southampton FC have some historic links: The Lions play in red-and-white stripes because an Athletic director bought the kits while in Southampton in 1910; legendary Athletic goalkeeper Raimundo Lezama learned the ropes at the south-coast club after being evacuated to the city during the Spanish Civil War; and Southampton’s former attacking midfielder Matt Le Tissier was the first ever recipient of the One-Club Man award, which is given to players who spend their entire career at the same club.