Chat Basqueing in The Sun- for Club and Country!

[Popart]

The year is 2042. Athletic Bilbao has become the best football club in the world. With their Basque only policy still in effect, they’ve won 14 Champions League Titles, 14 La Liga Titles, 12 Copa Del Rey’s and 13 Supercopa de Espana for good measure since 2024. Athletic Bilbao B, the reserve team, has won Liga Santander 4 times for good measure. After seemingly conquering club football, what could possibly be left for manager Basqueing InGlory?

 

Spain won the World Cup in 2038, and Bilbao homegrown superstars such as LW Cesar Fuster and ST Julio Dacosta led the charge, claiming a 3-1 victory over Uruguay. In fact, nearly half (12) of the Spanish side had Basque origins, whether it be from growing up in the Bilbao academy or otherwise. The buzz around the world quickly began to grow. Reporters and Pundits alike asked the absurd, perhaps asinine question- could an all-Basque Spain side repeat as World Cup winners in 2042?

 

What would this entail? Well, despite having a large number of basque players on the national team, there was no shortage of World Class players from elsewhere who were essential pieces to the operation of the national team. For instance, Goku Saenz of Barcelona is often regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, but would not have been eligible. Further complicating this matter is the Bilbao players who were not eligible for Spain. Ballon D’or winner Luka Filipovic is a Serbian Winger who grew up in the Basque region, but had been representing Serbia since he was 18. Oussmane Loppy is a solid backup Striker for Dacosta who frequently sees 25+ games a year, but represents Senegal. In fact, 5 nationalities are represented on this iteration of Athletic Club. 

 

Yet in 2040 Frankie De Jong was fired as Spain’s manager, and with that the opportunity arose for Basqueing InGlory to take over. At first, the team remained the same- but by the time the European Nations League came around, InGlory had done the unthinkable- every single player officially had Basque origins. Many were not still current Athletic Club players, such as Efren Pino of Atletico and Miguel Romera of PSG- but all had been a part of Athletic Club at one point or another. 

 

Spain cruised through the competition, beating Germany on penalties in a 0-0 match. Fans of other Spanish Clubs quickly grew frustrated as some of their favorite and best players were being left out of the national team in their prime, but the experiment was to happen regardless. Drawn into a group of Cape Verde, South Korea and Romania, Spain breezed through the group stages without conceding a goal. They faced steep challenges from Uruguay and Portugal in the Second Round and Semi’s but ultimately won each, and the stage was set- an all-Basque Spain v Italy in the 2042 World Cup Final.

 

 

 

A back and forth match showed the quality of defense that both sides possesed- and a disallowed goal at 28 minutes by Bilbao midfielder Luis Martin Llaneres proved to be the only action of the first half. But at the 67th minute, Athletic Club’s very own Julio Dacosta picked up a through ball from Josue Gonzalez, and smashed it into the top right corner. Two yellow cards would be the only action for the remainder of the game, and a 1-0 victory would see this Basque side lifting a World Cup trophy, together as a community.

 

 

 

[DanEnglish]

This is very impressive 🔥 

[Popart]

On 30/01/2024 at 05:23, DanEnglish said:

This is very impressive 🔥 

Thank you!

[Popart]

 

A Changing of the Guard- 

 

The year is 2043. The success of the all-Basque Spain squad is still captures the football world’s attention, even somewhat overshadowing Athletic Club’s 4-0 Win over AC Milan in the Champions League. Yet, for manager Basqueing InGlory this may have been the most special of their Champions League wins, as it would be the last that featured the core of wonderkids who had begun this line of Basque dominance. The Final featured 7 players aged 32 or over, and 5 of these players were in the starting XI. Youth of the Reserve team, Los Cachorros, had been nipping on the heels of these players for several years, and many had shown world class tendencies in their own right. Some of these players would be sold to finish their career abroad with a payday, sent on loan to lower divisions in Spain, or be given the occasional appearance off the bench. 

 

Without further ado, here is the original class of Basque legends:

 

2044 Retirements-

Yan Blazquez, Right Back
2023-2044
#2
Spain
92 Caps, 7 Goals
697 Appearances, 13 Goals, 103 Assists
Blazquez neared Fuster’s record of appearances in the red and white, despite the last 4 years of his career being hampered by injuries. He played in only 28 matches in all competitions in this time span. Yet, it is the sheer dominance of a Prime Blazquez that makes him a Bilbao legend. Part of the first InGlory youth intake, following a half season loan at Tudelano he was instantly promoted to the first team squad and regularly started in 38+ games a year from that point on. Primarily a defensive fullback, Yan was still skilled enough to provide double digit assist seasons several times. Blazquez became a player-coach at Bilbao two seasons before retiring, and his determination and professional manner as a player prepared him nicely for a gold badge in coaching.
 

Fermin Meseguer, Fullback
2025-2044
#3
Spain
109 Caps, 6 Goals
606 Appearances, 14 Goals, 68 Assists
Meseguer was one of the most versatile fullbacks in world football in his day, being elected to the World’s Best Eleven in 2033. A bit of a Ramos type player, Meseguer had 120 Yellow Cards during his career, but always seemed to find a way to avoid a red with only 3 in his entire career. A staple of the Bilbao defense for nearly 14 years, Meseguer was an automatic regular in almost every trophy Bilbao won during this time period. Hardly ever injured, Meseguer played his final game for Bilbao against Eibar in a 3-0 victory, and was given Man of the Match honors. 

 

Luka Filipovic, RW

#8

2030-2044

Serbia

72 Caps, 16 Goals

521 Appearances, 97 Goals, 101 Assists

 

Filipovic joined the club in 2030, from Serbian club Radnicki for the modest some of 800K. The following 14 years at Bilbao were filled with success, and saw him mentioned on the World’s Best Eleven 8 times, and on the All Time World’s Best Eleven. Filipovic finally won the Ballon D’or in 2042. Filipovic may have brought controversy to Bilbao fans as a young signing, when it was revealed his only connection to the Basque region was being raised there from ages 5-12; but there was no controversy at the end of his career, and one of the world’s brightest rode off into the sunset in a 2-0 victory against FC Andorra.

 

Class of 2045 soon...

[Popart]

2046

 

Cesar Fuster, Winger
2024-2046
#17
Spain
105 Caps, 15 Goals
777 Appearances, 160 Goals, 251 Assists

Perhaps the most legendary player in the history of Bilbao, and certainly top three- Fuster won two World Cups with Spain, including captaining the All-Basque World Cup winning squad in 2042. A whopping 22 years with Athletic Club, Fuster spent 2045 with Tudelano on loan, before playing in the first team squad for the next 20 years. The very definition of a playmaking Winger, Fuster retired as the all time assists leader in La Liga, and holds the record for most assists in a La Liga season with 22 in 2037-38. Fuster scored in three Champions League Finals, most notably a penalty against Arsenal that sealed a 2-0 victory. Selfless and hard working, Fuster embodied what it meant to be a Basque player during the InGlory era. Fuster finally retired at 38, one of the onldest players in World Football at the time. Fuster joined the staff as a coach at the end of his playing career.
 

Julio Dacosta, Striker
2025-2046
#11
Spain
82 Caps, 49 Goals
772 Appearances, 515 Goals, 69 Assists

Dacosta served as the man up front for Bilbao over two decades, and scored some of the most memorable goals in the regime of Athletic Club. He scored the only goal in the 2029 Champions League victory over Arsenal, the winning goal in 2033 against Barcelona in a 3-2 victory, The winning penalty in 2042 against Nantes. Dacosta holds the record for most goals in a Bilbao shirt, and the most goals in a single season with 42. Julio’s crowning achievment came in 2042, as he scored the only goal in the World Cup Final, sealing the victory for the Basque-only Spain squad. After his playing career, Dacosta became a coach at Athletic Club.
 

Emmanuel Fernandez Perez, RB/CB
2025-2046
#4
Spain
126 Caps, 16 Goals
815 Appearances, 26 Goals, 68 Assists

The all time leader in appearances for Athletic Club, Perez was the epitome of a professional for 21 years at the club. While the fans saw a decline in Fuster and Dacosta as they eventually retired as rotation players, Perez was in the starting XI until the very end, his last match being the 2046 Champions League Final, a 2-0 victory over Milan at 37 years old. Not only the Appearances leader, Perez was the captain of Bilbao for nearly 15 years, anchoring a defense that onyl gave up 5 league goals in 2037-38, and repeated the feat in 2043-44. Perez was a CB for the first part of his career, before shifting over to the right side at the age of 28. Perez also captained the Spain squad for over a decade. Perez became Bilbao’s Assistant Manager in his retirement. 
 

Eliseo Rioja, Defensive Midfielder
2026-2046
#10
Spain
21 Caps, 0 Goals
598 Appearances, 10 Goals, 37 Assists

The Vertical Tiki Taka style that Bilbao applied throughout the golden generation was a 433 that required a Defensive Midfielder with extreme versatility that could help cover the back line. That player, for nearly 20 years, was Eliseo Rioja. Hardly asked to move forward, Rioja bossed the midfield against some of the best forwards in the world. Playing 60 games in 2032-33, Rioja was a constant in the Bilbao XI until 2043. Then, along with Josue Gonzalez, he was loaned out to Liga Santander affiliate Barakaldo. His last appearance for the club came in the 0-1 Las Palmas Tribute Match. 
 

Josue Gonzalez Gonzalez, Playmaking Midfielder
2027-2046
#13
Spain
84 Caps, 12 Goals
671 Appearances, 115 Goals, 150 Assists

Gonzalez was the youngest player to ever debut for Bilbao, and then set on a career as one of the best playmaking midfielders in the world. Gonzalez had double digit assists for almost a decade. A game changer in the midfield, Gonzalez was a two time World Cup winner with Spain in 2038 and 2042. Gonzalez was caught in the middle of the changing of the guard, and being the most well paid player in all of football he was unable to catch a transfer. Gonzalez took a loan to Liga Santander affiliate Barakaldo in an effort to keep promoting Basque football in the region at the age of 33, and never properly regained playing time for the first team squad. His last appearance came against Las Palmas, a 0-1 defeat in which the lineup consisted in only over 30 players, a final tribute to the golden generation. 
 

Alex Calleja, Center Back
2028-2046
#5
Spain
54 Caps, 0 Goals
567 Appearances, 29 Goals, 29 Assists

Calleja may have been overshadowed by Perez’s consistent excellence, but Calleja was a consistent mainstay in the back line in his own right. Year in and year out, Calleja put in constant shifts on the famous Bilbao back line. Picked for the 2042 World Cup, Calleja hit his stride late in career. Through ages 26-31, Calleja was one of the best defenders in the world. 
 

[Popart]

Manu Ciuro, GK

#25

2026-2047

Spain

139 Caps

738 Appearances

 

Only conceding 206 goals in his Bilbao career, Ciuro became one of the most legendary keepers in the history of the sport. A youth product, Ciuro started getting regular time in goal by 2028. Cuiro was in goal for a whopping 18 Champions League finals and 3 World Cup finals. No keeper in the history of the sport played in as many big moments as Cuiro, and he always delivered.

 

Marian Kovtalyuk, RB

#22

2032-2048

Ukraine

72 Caps, 4 Goals

384 Appearances, 7 Goals 37 Assists

 

Kovtalyuk was a constant in the rotation for 16 years. 3 games in the Eredivisie was all it took to convince InGlory of his talents, and he was brought over to Bilbao for 1.1m. Born to a Basque mother, Kovtalyuk was the captain of the Ukrainian National Team for 10 years and lead them to a runner-up finish in the Euros in 2040. Despite often being a rotational player, Marian found time in several Champions League matches, and 3 Copa Del Rey Finals. Lifelong friends with Fernandez Perez, who was his mentor in his first few years, Kovtalyuk’s last match was the 2048 CL Final in which he played 35 minutes in a 4-1 victory over Vigo. 

[Popart]

Marc Catala, CM

#12

2032-2051

Spain

68 Caps, 7 Goals

679 Appearances, 111 Goals, 95 Assists

 

Catala, along with Pele and his teammate Qiuque Cacho, hold the distinction of being the only players that are 3x World Cup winners. Catala, a creative playmaker, took over CM duties for Bilbao full time in 2038 after years of being a super sub. Catala's most notable performance came in the 2041 Champions League final, scoring the game winning goal in the 122nd minute against PSG.

 

[Popart]

The Streets Won't Forget

Ousmane Loppy, Striker
2035-2044
#9
Senegal
50 Caps, 38 Goals
194 Appearances, 69 Goals, 18 Assists

One of the manager’s favorite players, Loppy had a turbulent ride at Bilbao. Internationally is where he shined the brightest, winning the African Cup of Nations Twice and a one time runner up, he also won the African Cup of Nations best player award and the Golden Boot in 2041. However, the odds were stacked against him at Bilbao and the vast majority of his 194 appearances were off the bench or in rotation with the second eleven. Three times he scored more that 10 goals in a season, each in less that 30 games, and 9 goals in two consecutive seasons. However, as his work rate steadily declined he found himself in a 14 game goal drought in 43-44 before finally scoring two at the end of the season. Not getting any younger, and becoming increasingly distressed by his performances, the manager shipped him to Liverpool for less than 1m, in order to give him a chance to thrive elsewhere. 

 

Luis Mario Sanchez Saez

2031-2041, 2043-2045

#80

Spain

 

Saez is one of the most interesting players in the history of Bilbao. He spent over a decade with the club despite only having 5 senior appearances. Saez began studying to be a physio as he was coming through the academy, and was kept in a physio role as well as a player. At 17 he received his silver badge, and his gold badge at 20. Despite not featuring in the senior squad until he was 29 years old, he led Bilbao's reserve team to 3 straight Liga Santander titles from 2034 to 2037.