The successful season
Last season can be considered as very successful for the Basque club because of the fact that they started the season as outsiders and ended up in the midtable with very good results in the second part of the season. Youth and inexperience were Lions' main problems but coach Joaquin Caparros skilfully managed to get the best out of his players. IN the last season this team definitely matured and everyone expects a stable season in Primera far from the relegation battle. Financial situation in Bilbao is, as always, stable; economy of the club has been run wisely and rationally for decades, so this is one of the main reasons why Athletic knew how to financially motivate their players in the toughest moments in the relegation battle.
Practically the same team
Athletic are the club that traditionally don't sign famous and established players, so the same happened this season too. Famous for their fantastic youth academy, one of the best organized in Europe, each year Athletic promotes few talented players into A squad. The policy of the club is very well-known and disputable; only players form their own football academy play in Athletic which is a unique case in today's football. The same thing happened this season too, so the names of the players like Koikili, Toquero or Joseba Del Olmo don't mean much to football fans. They are mostly Athletic's children that last year gained experience in second-league or regional clubs. Only keeper Aranzubia left the club to sign for Deportivo, as well as Luis Preto who found his new home in Valladolid and on-loan Asier Del Horno who went back to Valencia. The base of the team is identical as last season so the bearers of the play will still be Amorebieta, Fran Yeste, Iraola, Gurpegui, Etxeberia, Garmendia and the others.
In
Casas, Iraizoz, Del Olmo (Eibar), Inigo (Murcia)
Out
Del Horno (Valencia), Aranzubia (Deportivo), Luis Prieto (Valladolid) David Cuellar (Murcia), Exposito (Hercules), Angulo, Ramis (Ecija)
Avoiding the relegation battle
Basque club's aim is to avoid the struggle in the relegation battle they were in last year. The squad is almost identical, but the players have one more year of experience and coach Caparros knows the capabilities of his team very well. This gives hope to the fans that the next championship will be much more successful and the optimists even hope that a UEFA Cup qualification is possible. In spite of the fact that Athletic have several excellent players, objectively speaking, they still don't have enough good players to make this optimistic dream come true. The midtable between 9th and 13th place could be considered a success for the young Lions.
Our tip: To be worst then Betis
Odds 1.83
Bookmaker: Bet365
CL
CLQ
UEFA
RELEG
