Basque Country national football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Basque Country

Nickname

'Euskadi'

Association

Euskadiko Futbol Federakundea

Head coach

José Angel Iribar

Most caps

Top scorer

Julen Guerrero (6)

FIFA code





Home kit





Away kit

First international

Basque Country 6 - 1 Catalonia

(January 3 1915; Basque Country)

Largest win

Denmark 1 - 11 Basque Country

( August 29 1937; Denmark)

Worst defeat

Mexico 8 - 4 Basque Country

( October 16 1938; Mexico)

Basque Country 1 - 5 Hungary

(August 31 1980; Basque Country)

The Basque Country football team is the football of the Basque Country. The team is referred to by various names including the Selección de Euskadi, the Euskal Selekzio, Euskadi XI and Basque XI. The Euskadiko Futbol Federakundea (EFF) is not affiliated to either FIFA or UEFA and the team does not participate in international tournaments.

The first Euskadi XI made their debut on January 1 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 an Euskadi XI played outside Spain. José Antonio Aguirre, the president of the Basque Country and a former Athletic Bilbao footballer, initiated the idea of an 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 years regional identity was frowned upon in Spain and the Euskadi XI did not play. However since 1979 a Euskadi XI has regularly got together, usually at Christmas and usually at the San Mamés Stadium, to play a game. They have played opponents from Africa, South America and Europe, although unlike Catalonia, who have played Brazil, they have never attracted a major football power. Their most recent game was a 2-2 with the Catalonia football team in the Nou Camp in October 2006.