The Basque derby – Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad history & H2H

While there are a number of different Basque clubs in the top two tiers of Spain’s football pyramid, Athletic Club and Real Sociedad are the biggest of the bunch. For well over a century, they have been facing off in the Basque derby, known as the Derbi Vasco in Spanish and Euskal Derbia in Basque.

It’s not just a rivalry between two clubs, but two cities – Bilbao and Donostia (AKA San Sebastian), and two provinces – Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa.

Around 100 km separates San Mames from the Reale Arena, but these two clubs have a closely interconnected history, given the unique story of the Basque Country and indeed Basque football which largely shaped the early years of the beautiful game in Spain.

Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad history

The Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad rivalry dates all the way back 1909, when Club Ciclista (which would later become Real Sociedad) triumphed 4-2 over Athletic in a Copa del Rey match in Madrid, the first ever meeting between the clubs.

Perhaps ironically, given what the fixture has gone on to symbolise and represent, an Englishman by the name of George McGuinness was the hat-trick hero that day, while the other goalscorers went by the names of Simmons and Mortimer, as well as a Madrileño called Luis Saura.

It wouldn’t be long though, before the Basque Country started to churn out football talent of its own and by the time of the inaugural Primera Division campaign in 1929, the two clubs were established as two of the biggest forces in the Spanish game.

While much of the early silverware went to Bilbao rather than Donostia, with Athletic also more often than not having the better of meetings between the clubs, Real Sociedad finally turned the tables on their neighbours in the 1970s, winning 13 of the decade’s 20 league meetings. 

For many years though, this rivalry took on a much deeper meaning that went way beyond football. Athletic and Real Sociedad were essentially part of the same struggle, trying to hold onto their Basque identity during the oppressive Franco regime in Spain when even the Ikurriña (Basque flag) was banned.

In easily the most iconic image from the history of this fixture, captains Inaxio Kortabarria and Jose Angel Iribar walked out holding the still illegal Ikurriña before a derby between the clubs in December 1976. It was a hugely symbolic and powerful moment in the region’s push for greater freedoms following the death of Franco the previous year.

While the Basque Country was heading for a tumultuous period of violence and instability off the pitch amidst a growing push for independence, the Athletic-Real Sociedad rivalry endured its real golden era in the early 1980s. La Real won back-to-back league titles in 1981 and 1982, only for Athletic to repeat the feat in 1983 and 1984, as the clubs ensured the LaLiga trophy spent four consecutive years in the Basque Country.

What makes the Basque derby special?

Today, the fixture remains one of the biggest derbies in any LaLiga season and on some levels, clashes between Real Sociedad and Athletic Club are almost totally unique in a world where many of the biggest football rivalries have lost their local feel, at least on the pitch.

That’s not the case here, with Athletic still boldly hanging onto their “Basque only” policy which ensures that all of their players must either be born in the Basque Country, or at least have come through the youth ranks at a Basque club.

While Real Sociedad do sign foreign players, having changed their policy beginning with the 1989 addition of John Aldridge, they also have a very strong commitment to developing their own players. According to a study by the CIES Observatory Football, they had fielded more academy products than any other club in Europe’s major leagues in the 2021/22 season with 17.

Athletic were third in that list with 15, and put simply, these are two of the very best academies in the business and two clubs with an exceptional record when it comes to developing young talent. As a result, when Basque derby day comes around, it’s very much a local affair, featuring most of the best Basque football players the region has to offer.

The other significant thing that sets this derby apart from almost every other, is that the two sets of supporters actually have a really good relationship. La Real and Athletic fans mingle before and after games in the streets and bars of their respective cities, and they often sit together inside the stadiums too with many Athletic followers having Real Sociedad supporting friends and family members, and vice-versa.

That’s not to say that this rivalry doesn’t get heated. Basque derby atmospheres are still intense and the action on the pitch is as competitive and fiercely fought as any major rivalry in Europe.

Athletic Club vs Real Sociedad H2H

While Athletic are by most measures the bigger of the two clubs, Real Sociedad have been very competitive throughout the 21st Century and this is, to all intents and purposes, a very even rivalry.

In recent years, the clubs have both been pushing for European qualification in LaLiga, with Real Sociedad tending to do slightly better than Athletic. 

Supplementing homegrown talents such as Mikel Oyarzabal and Martin Zubimendi, with bright young players from abroad like Martin Odegaard and Alexander Isak enabled La Real to construct a very strong side under their long-serving boss Imanol. It was one that triumphed over Athletic Club in the 2020 Copa del Rey final, the most significant meeting in recent times, although sadly one that was played a year late behind closed doors due to the pandemic.

Athletic have narrowed the gap over the past year or so though, with Ernesto Valverde back at the helm and the Williams brothers shining on the flanks. They finished the higher of the biggest two Basque clubs in LaLiga 2023/24 for the first time in five years and topped it off by winning the Copa del Rey, to end a 40-year wait for a major trophy.

Getting tickets for the Basque derby

Basque derby tickets are unsurprisingly hot property right now, with the two teams both going through better periods in their recent history, although it’s true that Real Sociedad are in a slight state of transition after some big name departures following the 2023/24 season which saw them reach the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League.

The best way to buy tickets for LaLiga matches is usually to do it via the official websites of the home team and that still applies here.

While most Basque derbies will be near, if not total sell outs, there are usually some tickets available for the general public, although they may not be cheap. At the time of writing, six days before Athletic’s home derby in LaLiga against Real Sociedad in November 2024, tickets were available via the Athletic Club ticketing page, starting at €90.

For the reverse fixture at the Reale Arena in May 2025, head over to Real Sociedad’s ticketing page nearer the time.