Cantera Policy
Athletic Bilbao's cantera: a Basque-only youth academy producing homegrown talent from Lezama.
The cantera (quarry) of Spanish professional football club Athletic Bilbao is the organisation's youth academy, developing players from childhood through to the integration of the best prospects into the adult teams. The final category within the youth structure is the Juvenil A (under-18/19) team which represents the club in national competition. The successful graduates then usually move to the club's affiliated team for younger players, CD Basconia, or occasionally directly to the reserve team, Bilbao Athletic, both of which are also considered part of the cantera due to being stages in progression towards the senior team, albeit competing in the adult league system. The academy is based at the club training complex, Lezama, which is often the metonym used to refer to the system itself.
Quick Facts
- Key figure historical
- Félix Oraá (inaugurated Lezama in 1971)
Lore & Background
The club received its first large transfer windfall for a player who had graduated from the youth system since the €12 million deal of summer 2005 which took Asier del Horno to Chelsea in January 2018, when Aymeric Laporte (one of the few French players to have played for the club at any level) moved to Manchester City for a fee of around €64 million, his contractual release clause amount. That deal was eclipsed seven months later when goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, an Athletic player since the age of 9, was acquired by Chelsea for his release clause of €80 million, making him the world's most expensive goalkeeper.
Reader's Guide
The core of boys from the local Biscay province are first introduced into the Lezama Alevín teams at around 10 years of age and advance by an age group every season through Infantil, Cadete and Juvenil levels; there are collaboration agreements in place with the small clubs in the province, whose staff collaborate with Athletic scouts to identify any standout talents emerging at each stage. The players who are retained by Athletic after their Juvenil A spell (aged about 18) typically join the club's farm team in Basauri, CD Basconia, playing at the regionalised fourth level of the Spanish adult system. Their squad is normally expanded further with new signings from the wider regions's youth clubs, most notably Danok Bat and Antiguoko who regularly challenge the professional academy teams for the title in their División de Honor group. A number of senior players have also emerged from the Txantrea club in Pamplona who have a collaborative agreement with Athletic (renewed for four more years in 2017).
Did You Know?
- The Juvenil A team play in Group II of the División de Honor Juvenil de Fútbol as their regular annual competition.
- In 2012 the Juvenil team (including Aymeric Laporte and Iñaki Williams) appeared in the invitational NextGen Series but this was subsequently discontinued.
- A younger age group (The Cadete B squad) also competes in the Manchester United Premier Cup annually.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Cantera policy?
The Cantera policy is Athletic Bilbao's unique mandate requiring all players to be either born in the Basque Country, Navarre, or La Rioja, or trained within academies located in these regions. This rule ensures that every squad member shares a deep cultural and linguistic connection to the club's homeland.
Where are these players trained under the policy?
While the primary training ground is the famous Lezama facility in Biscay, the policy also accepts players developed in any football academy situated across the broader Basque Country and Navarre. This network ensures a steady flow of homegrown talent without compromising regional roots.
Who established the modern infrastructure for this system?
José María Arrate is the key historical figure who inaugurated the Lezama facility in 1971, formalizing the club's commitment to developing local youth. His work solidified the physical foundation that supports the Cantera philosophy today.
Has the Cantera policy ever changed or ended?
The policy remains active and fundamentally unchanged since its roots in the early 20th century, standing as a defining pillar of the club's existence. Unlike other teams that adapt to market trends, Athletic Bilbao has maintained this strict recruitment standard for over a century.
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