Athletic Club is a historic Spanish professional football club based in Bilbao, Biscay, in the Basque Country. Founded in 1898, it is one of Spain's oldest and most successful football institutions. Athletic Club competes in LaLiga and is one of only three clubs to have played every season of Spain's top division since its creation in 1928. The club has won eight Spanish league titles and 25 Copa del Rey trophies, with its most recent Copa del Rey triumph coming in 2024. Athletic Club is internationally recognised for its distinctive player-development philosophy, traditionally known as the “Basque policy”, under which the club selects players who were born in or developed through football academies in the Basque Country and its associated territories. The policy places exceptional importance on the club's Lezama academy and regional youth development network. Athletic Club operates men's and women's senior teams, reserve teams, youth teams and extensive grassroots and academy programmes. Its women's team has also achieved significant success in Spanish football, winning five league championships. The men's first team plays its home matches at San Mamés, one of Spain's most renowned football stadiums, while Lezama serves as the club's principal sporting and youth-development centre. Beyond football, Athletic Club maintains strong social, cultural and community programmes through the Athletic Club Foundation and other initiatives. The club is member-owned and governed through its socios, reinforcing its distinctive institutional identity. Athletic Club's philosophy combines sporting ambition with regional identity, youth development, community values and long-term sustainability. Its deep connection with Bilbao and the Basque Country, together with its unique approach to player recruitment and development, makes Athletic Club one of the most distinctive institutions in European football.