Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid 1956 Copa del Generalísimo Final

Lore & Background

Athletic's first European experience was the Latin Cup in 1956, where they finished runners-up to A.C. Milan. In the 1956–57 European Cup, they defeated FC Porto and then Budapest Honvéd (after the Hungarian Revolution caused the legs to be switched and the second leg moved to Brussels), progressing 6–5 on aggregate. They lost to Manchester United in the quarter-finals after a 6–5 aggregate defeat. The club later competed in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, UEFA Cup, and Cup Winners' Cup, with notable runs including the 1977 UEFA Cup final loss to Juventus on away goals and the 2012 UEFA Europa League final loss to Atlético Madrid. They reached a third semi-final in the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League but did not reach the final.

Reader's Guide

From 1941 until 1975, the club was officially known as Atlético de Bilbao due to a decree banning foreign words. It is traditional for visiting team captains to present a bouquet of flowers to a bust of Pichichi before their first match at Athletic's stadium, a ceremony that occurs mostly before European ties due to the rarity of new domestic opponents.

Did You Know?

• The 1968–69 Fairs Cup tie against Liverpool was decided by a coin toss after extra time, the only time such a method was used in the club's European matches.
• Aritz Aduriz scored 34 European goals for Athletic from 2012 to 2018, winning the Europa League top scorer award twice (one shared).
• Óscar de Marcos holds the record for most European appearances for the club with 77 matches.