Lezama Facilities
An aerial view of the complex, 2019
LocationLezama
Basque Country
OwnerAthletic Bilbao
TypeFootball training ground
Construction
Built1971
Tenants
Athletic Bilbao (training) (1971–present)
Athletic Bilbao B (1971–present)
Athletic Bilbao cantera (1971–present)
Athletic Club Femenino (2002–present)
Athletic Club Femenino B (2002–present)
Amorebieta (2021–2022; 2023–present)
Website
Lezama Facilities

The Lezama Facilities (Basque: Lezamako Kirol-instalakuntzak, Spanish: Instalaciones de Lezama), is the training ground and academy of the Primera Division club Athletic Bilbao. Located in the Lezama village around 10 km east of Bilbao, it was opened in 1971.[1][2]

Lezama hosts Athletic's first team for training and the league matches of Athletic EFT (women's team), as well as ten base youth teams: Bilbao Athletic (reserve team, currently playing at the Segunda División B level), women's B team, two junior teams (17 to 19 years old), two cadets (with ages between 15 and 16), two youngster teams (13 and 14) and three children's teams (the youngest, 11 and 12 years of age) which make up the club's football academy – which is often referred to metonymically as Lezama.[3]

In June 2021, the facilities also became the temporary home ground of Segunda División newcomers SD Amorebieta as their home stadium Urritxe was deemed "impractical" to play in the category.[4] The situation was repeated in 2023–24.

Currently, the total area of the facilities is 14,760 m².[5]

Facilities

Athletic's main squad, at a training session in Lezama
  • Field 2 with a capacity of 3,250 seats, is the home stadium of Bilbao Athletic, the reserve team of Athletic Bilbao, and the club's senior women's team.[6] It is also home to SD Amorebieta, who in 2021 and 2023 reached an agreement with Athletic Club to play at the stadium as their pitch, Urritxe, did not meet Segunda División requirements
  • 4 full-size natural grass pitches including Field 1, the senior team's training zone and Field 5, used by the Juvenil (under-19) academy teams.
  • 3 full-size artificial turf pitches including Field 8 used by the women's B team.
  • 1 mini football artificial turf pitch.
  • Service centre with gymnasium, press rooms and medical facilities.
  • Athletes' residence.

The Arch

The San Mamés arch at Lezama Field 2, 2016 - seating was later added in the space between its beam and the ground

The iconic arch over the main stand of Athletic's San Mamés Stadium (which originally supported its roof) was preserved in the ground's demolition in 2013 and moved in several pieces to Lezama, where it was installed at the side of the Field 2 used by the reserves and women's team, with a small area of spectator seating added below.[3][7][8]

The complex also features busts of iconic Athletic players Zarra[9] and Piru Gainza.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Tribute to Lezama, Athletic Bilbao, 27 January 2021
  2. ↑ Athletic Club: a way of life, Athletic Bilbao, 27 January 2021
  3. 1 2 Alex Clapham (30 October 2018). "How does Athletic Bilbao's academy manage to produce 85% of their team?". Caño Football. Retrieved 24 February 2019 – via The Guardian.
  4. ↑ "La Sociedad Deportiva Amorebieta disputará en Lezama sus partidos como local de LaLiga SmartBank" [Sociedad Deportiva Amorebieta will play at Lezama their home matches in the LaLiga SmartBank] (in Spanish). SD Amorebieta. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. ↑ Lezama Facilities
  6. ↑ "El campo 2 de Lezama sube su aforo hasta los 3.250 espectadores" (in European Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  7. ↑ "El arco de San Mamés ya está instalado en Lezama" [The arch from San Mamés has been installed at Lezama]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 18 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  8. ↑ "El arco ya ilumina las instalaciones de Lezama" [The arch illuminates the Lezama facilities]. El Desmarque (in Spanish). 14 October 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "El busto de Zarra vigila desde lo más alto la cantera de Lezama" [The bust of Zarra watches the quarry of Lezama from its highest point]. El País (in Spanish). 5 December 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  10. ↑ "Mikel Vesga, el timonel del Sporting" [Mikel Vesga, the helmsman of Sporting]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 23 March 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.

43°16′42″N 02°50′19″W / 43.27833°N 2.83861°W / 43.27833; -2.83861

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