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Basque Country national football team
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The Basque Country national football team (officially, in Basque, Euskal Herriko futbol selekzioa) is the official football team for Basque Country, located in both Spain and France. They are not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA, because it is represented internationally by the Spanish National Football Team. It only plays friendly matches. The team is referred to by various names including the Euskal Herriko Selekzioa, Selección de Euskadi, Euskal Selekzioa, Euskadi XI and Basque XI. The team was named Euskadiko Selekzioa until 2007, when changed its name to Euskal Herriko Selekzioa.
The first Euskadi XI made their debut on January 3 1915 against a Catalan XI, winning 6-1. In 1915 and 1916 and then again in 1930 and 1931 the two sides played each other in a series of games. However it was until 1937 that a Euskadi XI played outside Spain. José Antonio Aguirre, the president of the Basque Country and a former Athletic Bilbao footballer, initiated the idea of a Euskadi XI going on tour to raise funds for the Basque cause during the Spanish Civil War. This team subsequently toured Europe and Mexico and even entered the Mexican league. During the Franco dictatorship from 1939 to 1975, regional and non-Spanish national identities were severely repressed in the Spanish state and the Euskadi XI did not play. However since 1979 a Euskadi XI has regularly got together, usually at Christmas and usually at Athletic Bilbao's San Mamés Stadium, to play a game. They have played opponents from Africa, South America and Europe, although unlike Catalonia, who have played Brazil and Argentina, among others, they have never attracted a major football power. Their most recent game was a 1-1 draw with Catalonia at the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao on 29 December, 2007.
Last game- Last game : 1-1 San Mamés Stadium Bilbao, Spain- 29 December, 2007.
Current squadSquad called up for the friendly against Catalonia on December 27, 2007.
Caps and goals as of December 27, 2007.
Goalkeepers
Defenders
| # | Name | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
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| 2 | Andoni Iraola | | Athletic Bilbao | 5 (0) | v. Uruguay, 27 December, 2003 | | 3 | Asier Del Horno | | Athletic Bilbao | 4 (0) | v. Uruguay, 27 December, 2003 | | 4 | Mikel Labaka | | Real Sociedad | 6 (0) | v. Cameroon, 28 December, 2005 | | 5 | Fernando Amorebieta | | Athletic Bilbao | 2 (0) | v. Venezuela, 20 June, 2007 | | 15 | Patxi Puñal | | CA Osasuna | 3 (0) | v. Macedonia, 28 December, 2002 | | 14 | Aitor Lopez Rekarte | | UD Almeria | 9 (0) | v. Morocco, 29 December, 2000 | | 20 | Jon Urzelai | | SD Eibar | 1 (0) | v. Catalonia, 29 December, 2007 | | 12 | Mikel González | | Real Sociedad | 2 (0) | v. Venezuela, 20 June, 2007 |
Midfielders
| # | Name | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
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> 6 | Pablo Orbaiz | | Athletic Bilbao | 3 (0) | v. Cameroon, 28 December, 2005 | | 8 | Xabier Prieto | | Real Sociedad | 5 (0) | v. Honduras, 29 December, 2004 | | 10 | Mikel Aranburu | | Real Sociedad | 7 (0) | v. Macedonia, 28 December, 2002 | | 11 | Fran Yeste | | Athletic Bilbao | 5 (3) | v. Uruguay, 27 December, 2003 | | 16 | Gaizka Mendieta | | Middlesbrough | 5 (1) | v. Nigeria, 29 December, 1999 | | 18 | Igor Gabilondo | | Athletic Bilbao | 9 (1) | v. Macedonia, 28 December, 2002 |
Strikers
| # | Name | Date of birth | Club | Caps (goals) | Debut |
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| 7 | Joseba Etxeberria (captain) | | Athletic Bilbao | 11 (2) | v. Uruguay, 22 December, 1998 | | 9 | Fernando Llorente | | Athletic Bilbao | 5 (1) | v. Cameroon, 28 December, 2005 | | 17 | Joseba Llorente | | Real Valladolid | 2 (0) | v. Honduras, 29 December, 2004 | | 19 | Aritz Aduriz | | Athletic Bilbao | 4 (3) | v. Catalonia, 8 October, 2006 |
Famous players
Famous managers Jesús Garay, 1979
Xabier Expósito,(1993-2001)
José Ángel Iribar,(1993-)
Mikel Etxarri,(2003-)
All Matches (Modern era)
See also
External links - (In Basque and Spanish.)
- (In Basque, click "English" for English language version.)
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