Saturday night’s Basque derby will produce one of the most gripping spectacles of the LALiga season, as Athletic Club and Real Sociedad face off in an intense war for a place in the top four. a crowd of more than 50,000 spectators, which could break the attendance record of San Mamés since its inauguration in 2013.
The match, which affectionately nicknamed “the friendly derby” due to the good relations between the fans, drew attention earlier this season when a clip of a lone Athletic supporter among a dancing crowd of La Real supporters went viral.
That moment came some 110 years after the first meeting ended in a 1-1 draw in 1913. The overall balance shows Athletic in the lead with 77 victories compared to La Real’s 60, while 49 ties have ended in a draw.
Strong relations between the clubs have continued despite tensions over transfers fueled by their exclusive recruitment policies. Neither club would sign a player who doesn’t have close ties to their region. It wasn’t until the late 80s that Real Sociedad opened its doors. its doors to players from abroad, while Athletic Club maintains this policy to this day. The tweaks and tweaks have opened up the pool a bit, but all players will have to have a family link or have grown up in the Basque Country to be able to play for Athletic.
This technique means that those derbies mean much more than a normal football rivalry. All 11 Athletic players who will start the match are Basque, while up to seven local boys can feature in the Real Sociedad line-up. Added to this are the coaches, Real Sociedad’s Basque coach, Imanol Alguacil, and Athletic’s Ernesto Valverde, who has worked at the club as a player and coach for a total of 15 years of career.
Real Sociedad coach Imanol described the match well in his pre-match press conference. “The respect between the fans, the players and the coach is enormous,” he said. “It’s a derby, an intense game, a game for everyone. “
There is no clearer indication of how expectant Basque fans are. Tickets sold out within two hours of going on general sale on Christmas Day, and are set to smash the record attendance at San Mamés.
The record is currently held by the 2018 rugby fixture between Leinster and Racing which welcomed 52,282 spectators, just below the stadium capacity of 53,331. The arena opened in 2013, iconically replacing the previous stadium of the same name on almost exactly the same plot of land.
In football matches, the record attendance with 51,544 people was recorded in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey in April 2023 against Osasuna. This season, the highest attendance was recorded in the first match of the season, with 48,927 more in attendance for the clash against Osasuna. to Real Madrid.
Of those who will be able to add up to the more than 50,000 spectators, 575 will be those who will stop in the segment destined for visiting fans. Real Sociedad recorded 5,931 fan requests for tickets before handing out the limited number that could be won by lottery.
The stakes are high for many reasons, but there is a six-point gap between the two groups in the race for European football next season.
This game will be the first match of the second half of the LALIGA calendar, and Athletic are on track to finish ahead of their neighbours for the first time since 2018/19, when both teams finished in eighth and ninth respectively.
Perhaps most importantly for the region, this year may be the first time either team has finished in the league’s top six since 1997/98, when they finished second and third respectively.
Despite this, the opposite meeting in September resulted in a 3-0 thrashing in favour of the then home team, Real Sociedad. It is one of only two defeats for Valverde’s side this season in domestic competition, the other against his former club. FC Barcelona.