Represent Athletic in Prague with Toquero and Eli Ibarra
Represent Athletic in Prague with Toquero and Eli Ibarra
Athletic Club is organising a Champions League pre-match event next to SK Slavia Praha's stadium which will include: planting a sapling from the Tree of Gernika, a Walking Football match with Eli Ibarra and Gaizka Toquero and a post-match get together
As part of the #FollowSomethingUnique campaign, the Athletic Club Foundation is repeating the initiative carried out in Dortmund and Newcastle by organising a Champions League pre-match event for fans to contribute to the typically good atmosphere on Zurigorri away trips. There will be an oak tree planting ceremony, a walking football match and a post-game get together.
What's more, in Prague we'll be joined by two hugely popular former players in Gaizka Toquero and Eli Ibarra.
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These activities serve as a showcase for Athletic Club's values and add to the positive impression Zurigorri fans usually make on their European away matches, that of a fanbase mostly made up of families and groups of friends, who respectful, cheerful, proud of their identity and eager to turn football into a party.
#FollowSomethingUnique programme in Prague
This is the schedule of events organised in the Czech capital on the morning of Tuesday 25:
- 10:00 AM: Meet at the main stadium entrance (Museum).
- 10:15–10:30 AM: Oak tree planting ceremony, with a sapling from the Tree of Gernika.
- 10:45 AM: Walking Football match
- 11:45 AM: Showers
- 12:15 PM: Get together at the Iris Hotel
The joint planting of a sapling from the Tree of Gernika as a sign of gratitude to the host city, the first of the planned events, will take place at 10:15.
Athletic Club will act as an official ambassador for the values embodied by this oak tree, an important symbol of Basque identity:
A plaque with the following message will be placed next to the oak tree:
"Setkali jsme se jako soupeři, loučíme se jako přátelé.
Děkujeme, Praho, eskerrik asko. 25. listopadu 2025."
Which means: “We met as opponents, but we leave as friends amigos. Thank you, Prague. Eskerrik asko."
After planting the oak tree, it will be time for the Walking Football match between Athletic and Slavia, this time featuring Eli Ibarra and Gaizka Toquero, two former players who are hugely popular among Athletic fans.
To talk about Eli Ibarra is to talk about the history of Athletic Club and the first women's team. The former footballer is the second highest appearance maker in Athletic Club Women history. Eli wore the red and white stripes in 413 official matches, including 367 league matches, 32 cup matches and 14 Women's Champions League matches. She won five league titles and scored 111 goals.
Legendary numbers for a Lioness who left her mark on the pitch for 15 seasons as a player and continues to do so through her work at Athletic Club Fundazioa and Lezama. She is also the person who officially presents the One Club Woman award to the winners at San Mames.
And what can we say about Gaizka Toquero, a striker who won the hearts of the entire Athletic family during the seven seasons he wore the red and white jersey and who merited the famous chants which expressed that recognition.
207 matches, 25 goals and two memorable moments in the club's history, both in 2009: a goal against Sevilla FC to make it 3-0 in the second leg of the Copa semi-final, helping Athletic Club qualify for the final for the first time in 24 years, and a goal in the final that gave us the lead against FC Barcelona at the Mestalla Stadium.