Los Leones: The Unique Story of Athletic Club Bilbao by Christopher James Evans

25/06/2024  -  5.05

Book Review by Alex Alexandrou

This book has certainly been well worth waiting for. Without doubt researching and writing this book was a labour of love for Christopher Evans, with the reader left in no doubt that he is a proud Welshman and through his roots can and does certainly connect with the Basque Country and demonstrates a deep affinity for this unique club.

However, this does not cloud his judgement in terms of how he presents the history of the club. It is well-balanced, based on a range of sources that include interviews with club legends, to independent commentators, historians and journalists, whose insights allowed him to develop the story of the club from a multi-faceted perspective. This ensured there was a deep, critical and honest telling of the story of the club. 

Christopher Evans has a wonderful writing style that allows the narrative to flow. For me this turned the book into a page turner that was difficult to put down, because as the story unfolds, the reader will get more engrossed as to how this club has developed into the unique institution it is today, that is steeped in history, myths, legends, traditions and its unique Basque-only philosophy.

The reader gets a good sense of all of these as he weaves the story from its English-inspired formation to the present day. Each chapter has a unique theme that allows the story to develop and unfold as the reader learns about the club’s early matches; choice of club shirt and colours; how the club fared during the Spanish Civil War and the Franco regime; the aura and magnificence of its stadium, often referred to as ‘The Cathedral’, the story behind ‘The Barge’; the variety of managers ranging from the inimitable Mr Pentland, to the irascible Javier Clemente, the humble Howard Kendall and the inimitable Marcelo Bielsa; players who have become legends such as Pichichi, Jose Ángel Iribar, Andoni Goikoetxea and modern day stars such as the Williams brothers, Iñaki and Nico, who have their own unique migrant story; how it develops and recruits the future generations of players; its relationships with other Basque clubs; the  successes, near misses and the lean years, with some excellent Copa del Rey stories; the formation and development of Women’s football at the club and much more! 

Of particular interest from a football and war perspective, are the chapters dealing the Spanish Civil War and Post-Civil War Franco era. Notably, in terms of firstly, how the club survived and proved to be a beacon to the Basque people during the period of this oppressive regime that was determined to suffocate the life out of the Basque Country. Secondly, during the Civil War, how a Basque national team, known as the Euzkadi, was created that toured Europe, the Soviet Union, Latin America and finally ending up in Mexico, flying the flag for the Basque Country and the Republicans, to ensure the conflict was kept in the public consciousness on a global basis. Thirdly, the Footballing Children of the Civil War, who were part of the thousands evacuated en-masse to Britain following the massacres at Durango and Guernica. The author brings to life footballing stories of success out of despair for some of these children, such as Raimundo Pérez Lezama, who was discovered playing football in Southampton and on his return eventually signed and played for Los Leones, going on to become a club legend.

It is fair to say this book adds to the rich tapestry of Athletic Club and will be regarded as a seminal work in years to come.

The book is published by Pitch Publishing and is available through the publisher’s store on Amazon - £13.65, softback, £9.99, Kindle, 352 pages.

Alex Alexandrou is the Co-founder and Chair of the Football and War Network