The Basque Derby Is a Sibling Rivalry Like No Other
REAL SOCIEDAD and ATHLETIC CLUB can recognize a common enemy.
IN THIS ISSUE:
CHAMPIONSHIP MADNESS / HARRY KANE IN FULL LEDERHOSEN / BRIGHTON vs NEWCASTLE / CHELSEA vs LIVERPOOL / BOLOGNA vs JUVENTUS FOR ALL THE MARBLES
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The Basque region is in northern Spain — well, a bit of it’s French — but most folks there just wish they were their own thing. It’s home to a distinct language, culture, and football tradition, the last of those most prominently represented in two teams from two different cities: ATHLETIC CLUB of Bilbao and REAL SOCIEDAD of Donostia-San Sebastián.
This rivalry, the Basque derby, has had its nasty periods. The late 1980s and early 1990s in particular were a time of discontent. But for the most part, this is a family feud, a sibling rivalry. They’ll fight amongst themselves, but when outsiders knock on the door, they band together against the common enemy. That’s true in football, and in heavier things. The Basque region was decimated under the regime of Spain’s longtime dictator, Francisco Franco, and in the most difficult times, these folks came together in opposition to the Generalissimo and his thugs.
Here to trace all that before the match kicks off on Sunday (3pm ET/8pm UK) is Christopher Evans, author of Los Leones: The Unique Story of Athletic Club Bilbao. There’s a whole chapter in the book devoted to this derby, and Chris shared a bit of his knowledge with us on this week’s show:
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MORE MATCHES
CHAMPIONSHIP MADNESS
Sat @ 7:30am ET, 12:30pm UK
It’s Matchday 46 in England’s second tier, Championship Saturday for the Championship.
The automatic promotion spots are all sewn up ahead of the final round, and both Leeds and Burnley will be joining the Premier League next season. But the latter are still involved in an intriguing encounter: not only are BURNLEY looking to finish top of the league, they’re playing MILLWALL, who against all odds are chasing a spot in the promotion playoffs. This was not a scenario I would have predicted when I was at the Den in January watching the Lions lose to Hull City in a fairly turgid affair, but here we are. The South Londoners are even on 66 points with Coventry City, who currently control the final playoff spot, and they’re both just a point behind Bristol City.
There might be an even spicier encounter with COVENTRY CITY vs MIDDLESBROUGH, however. The latter are ninth, but if things really went haywire and they were to secure a better result than Blackburn, Millwall, and of course Coventry, they could sneak into the playoffs via their superior goal difference.
That means the second-division title is up for grabs, five teams are vying to join Sheffield United and Sunderland in the playoffs, and by the way, five teams are in a relegation scrap. If you’d rather take in some Premier League fare, though, ASTON VILLA vs FULHAM kicks off at the same time.
RB LEIPZIG vs BAYERN MUNICH
Sat @ 9:30am ET, 2:30pm UK
The reason to tune in for this one was to watch Harry Kane secure his first career trophy, so of course he went and got himself suspended. We can safely assume the authorities will still allow him to lift the Meisterschale, however, and maybe he’ll be in full lederhosen.
If you’re looking for a different slice of life, though, consider the Diabolical Derby: LEICESTER CITY vs SOUTHAMPTON. The Premier League will soon bid these two goodbye, but first, it’s a Premier League match that one of them might actually win.
BRIGHTON vs NEWCASTLE
Sun @ 9am ET, 2pm UK
This one just has a vibe about it. Brighton are no longer in the Champions League race, and in fact they’ve plummeted down the table to ninth, but they can still give most teams a game on their day.
They’ll need to be on it for the visit of Newcastle, a side still gunning for those Champions League places. Manager Eddie Howe was missing for a few weeks with health issues, but none of it stopped the Magpies from winning seven of their last nine matches in league play. They’ve snuck up into third, hopping over City, Chelsea, and Forest as they went, and a couple more victories should see them eating at Europe’s top table next season.
CHELSEA vs LIVERPOOL
Sun @ 11:30am ET, 4:30pm UK
Like I said on this week’s podcast, there’s only one good thing to come out of Liverpool’s title victory for we Arsenal fans, and that’s that Chelsea will have to give them a guard of honor. This is a true Premier League rivalry from back in the halcyon days — Mourinho vs Benitez, and all that — and perhaps the Blues will want to show the newly crowned champions that they’re still here.
Enzo Maresca’s side have been pretty poor for a while now, though they are still picking up results and they do have a good chance to play Champions League football next season. Perhaps that motivation might prevent the Liverpool procession from continuing apace.
For an off-beat pick around the same time, there’s also CLUB BRUGGE vs ANDERLECHT in the Belgian Cup final at 12pm ET/5pm UK.
BOLOGNA vs JUVENTUS
Sun @ 2:45pm ET, 7:45pm UK
This is something close to a straight-up playoff for a Champions League place next season. Juve are fourth, currently in possession of the final ticket to the big banquet, but Bologna are just one point behind with four matches left to play.
They’ve got a difficult fixture list, but if the Rossoblú can win here, they might just back themselves. Bologna have lost the hot form that brought them into this position, with just five points from the last 12 available, but they faced Napoli, Atalanta, and Inter in that span and beat the last of those with a stunning stoppage-time winner from Riccardo Orsolini.
Visitors Juventus have been up and down since head coach Thiago Motta’s dismissal, but they’ll see Champions League football as a vital consolation prize to salvage from a very disappointing season. It should be a crackling atmosphere, and in even bigger news, I will be at this match. More on that to come, but if you really need an alternative in this match window, there’s always third against second in Ligue 1: LILLE vs MARSEILLE.⚽︎