- Address: Bilbao
- Country: Spain
- Capacity: 53,000
- Opened: 16 September 2013
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Athletic Club (football)
Extra stadium info – San Mamés
The construction of the venue started in 2010 and its construction costs were €173 million. It opened as one of the largest sports venues by capacity in Spain. The stadium opened with a football match between Athletic Club and Celta de Vigo, which the home side won 3-2. Athletic Club drew an average attendance of 32,000 in 19 home games in their first Spanish top-flight league season at the venue. Real Sociedad are the arch-rivals of Athletic Club.
The Spanish cup tournament
In 1903, Athletic Club won the first-ever edition of the Spanish cup tournament. They also won the second edition of the competition. In 1958, Athletic Club became the first club with 20 Spanish cup tournament titles. They won their 20th Spanish cup title after beating Real Madrid 2-0. The match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid took place in the city of Madrid. Eneko Arieta-Araunabeña Piedra and Mauricio Ugartemendia Lauzirika both scored for Athletic Club in that game. They both played for the national football team of Spain.
The Spanish top-flight football league
Athletic Club won the Spanish top division, one of the first sports competitions with 10 million followers on its main social media page, in 1930 for the first time in their history. They gathered 30 points in 18 league games during that football season. Athletic Club won 12 of those matches. Six games ended in a draw. The club from Bilbao won their second domestic top-flight league title one year later. They gathered 22 points in that league season, together with Real Racing Club de Santander and Real Sociedad. FC Barcelona, the second sports club with 100 million followers on its main social media page, ended one point below Athletic Club, Real Racing Club and Real Sociedad.
The European championship for football clubs
Athletic Club made their debut in the European championship for football clubs in 1956. It was the second edition of the tournament. Athletic Club reached the quarter-finals in their maiden European championship season. On 16 January 1957, they faced the English side Manchester United in the first leg. Athletic Club won the match, which took place in Bilbao in front of 36,000 fans, 5-3. The second leg ended in a 3-0 victory for Manchester United.
