Last season, the roar from the Cathedral was loud for three quarters of the season. Athletic were en route to European spots as San Mamés became and impenetrable fortress.

Then the gas ran out and the team's focus became the Copa del Rey. You can say whatever you might want; that Joaquín Caparros' team was limited to begin with, that their unique policy of only signing Basque players is outdated, or whatever. One thing you can say is that Athletic will always battle regardless of where they are at in the table.

In the end, the Basques made it to Europe yet came up short of their 25th Copa. Their season technically started early as they were able to advance into the playoff round and will face Norwegian side Tromso with a spot in the group stages on the line.

With Joaquín Caparrós at the helm for a third season and Javier Irureta and Iñaki Saez as the consortium the team will continue their hard-nosed, lunch pail style of game.

Player to watch:
If I do not mention Fernando Llorente in my first sentence, I am ridiculous. The Basque giant broke out last season and became a viable option for Vicente del Bosque on the national team. His 32 goals in 83 matches have made the young man from Pamplona one of the premier goalscorers in La Liga. He was one of the top scorers last season with 18 total goals between Cup and league. His 13 goals were almost one third of the team's total offensive output last year.

Watch out with:
Oscar De Marcos. He showed his potential on Sunday against Barcelona when he scored the lone goal for the Basques at San Mamés. The former Alavés man will be able to give Athletic a chance to end their Llorente-dependency. From the looks of the limited time he spent on the pitch, De Marcos showed that he could be that different player that this team has needed for the past couple of seasons.

Special Player:
In this age of high-priced transfer fees and big time money there are stories like Joseba Etxeberria. The former Spanish international is an idol in that region of the world. His name is synonymous with the club and his legacy there is sealed. In what he has declared to be his final season, Etxeberria has done what Ronaldo or any other player would do- play for free.

Joseba will forgo payment on the final season of his contract as a gesture of appreciation for what the club has given to him. This is definitely a symbol of the man as well as his love for the game and club.


New Players
Iban Lafuente
Javi Casas
Ibán Zubiaurre
Iñigo Díaz De Cerio
Oscar De Marcos
Xabi Castillo


Players Gone
Joseba Del Olmo (Hércules)
Javi Casas (Cartagena)
Ander Murillo (Salamanca)
Mikel Balenziaga (Numancia)
Tiko (retired)
Iñaki Muñoz
Joseba Garmendia (Numancia)
Iñigo Vélez (Numancia)