Invitation for all professional goalkeepers to wear black as tribute to Iribar

Athletic Club has broadened its homage to Jose Angel Iribar, who turned 80 years old today, extending an invitation to all clubs in LaLiga Santander and LaLiga Smartbank to join the initiative by having their goalkeepers play in black this weekend.

The club would also like to extend this invitation to football teams and goalkeepers all over the world, it would be an honour if any shotstopper in any league wished to pay homage to Iribar in their own way.

As a tribute to 'Txopo', Athletic Club has already co-ordinated with clubs in Bizkaia so that their goalkeepers will wear black jerseys this weekend. The black strip was a trademark for the legendary shotstopper who made 614 official appearances for Athletic - a club record which still stands.

Athletic Club has recieved permission from the Technical Committee of Referees and LaLiga so that both goalkeepers in the same fixture can wear the same colour during this specific matchday weekend.

If it is not feasible for some clubs, due to outfield players' kits, for example, Athletic Club invites the goalkeeper to put on a black strip for the official photo of the starting XI, even if they are then obliged to play in another colour.

A significant number of professional goalkeepers from all over the world have already expressed their intention to take part in the initiative.