Athletic spreads its values in Bergamo

Members of the Leones Italianos fan club who travelled to Bergamo, led by legendary Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz, played a small Walking Football tournament alongside ASD Oratorio Monterosso – a Lombardy-based Walking Football team –  in a Champions League pre-match event full of values. 

In addition to the small football match, the now traditional ceremony involving the planting of a sapling from the Tree of Gernika took place as a symbol of gratitude for the hospitality received in the city of Bergamo.

Symbolic acts of great significance

The day began at 10:00 AM in Bergamo's Goisis Park. Two councillors from Bergamo City Council, Marcella Messina and Oriana Ruzzini, accompanied Jon Ruigómez, Athletic's vice-president, during this symbolic event. The rest of the club's institutional representatives were: directors Igor San Román, Laura Ruiz de Azua, Gorka Cubes and Josetxu Urrutia, along with Johana Ruiz Olabuenaga, director of the communities department, Galder Reguera, head of the foundation, and goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz.

After a few kind words of welcome from  Messina and Ruzzini, Jon Ruigómez also gave a speech. The vice-president highlighted the symbolic power of the morning's events,  describing them as a letter of introduction summarised in the inscription on the plaque accompanying the oak sapling:

"Siamo arrivati come avversari, ce ne andiamo come amici. Grazie, Bergamo, eskerrik asko" - "We came as opponents, we leave as friends. Thank you, Bergamo, eskerrik asko."

#FollowSomethingUnique in Dortmund, Newcastle, Prague and Bergamo

The initiative, called #FollowSomethingUnique, has been held in the four cities where Athletic Club have played away matches during the Champions League group stage – Dortmund, Newcastle, Prague and, now, Bergamo. The aim is to promote connections between fans based on respect and sportsmanship, values that are essential to Athletic Club.

Gorka Iraizoz, Leones Italianos fan club and ASD Oratorio Monterosso

The events continued at a local ground next to the Parrocchia S. Gregorio Barbarigo, in Bergamo's Monterosso neighbourhood. The Zurigorri travelling party from Bilbao, led by Gorka Iraizoz, were welcomed by two hosts. 

On one side, ASD Oratorio Monterosso, a Lombardy football club with its own Walking Football team, coached by Alberto Marchetti, a former Juventus player who faced Athletic in the 1977 UEFA Cup final. 

Alongside them were the Leones Italianos, led by Franz Scordamagli, Simone Bertelegni and Emiliano Gabrielli. Athletic supporters from all over Italy had marked this day on their calendars and, in addition to helping organise the Walking Football match, they have been excellent hosts and guides since the Zurigorri travelling party arrived in Bergamo.

On Tuesday, they gave the Lions a warm welcome at the team hotel, presented the captains with a gift and invited them to dinner.

The good atmosphere continued through to  Wednesday morning. At 11:00, the matches began, and as the result is irrelevant in these friendly games, regardless of the goals scored, the final score was a draw. 

As most of the members of ASD Oratorio Monterosso are supporters of Atalanta BC, Athletic Club's opponent on Wednesday night, there was constant banter and joking, always in a completely sporting spirit.