1994–95 Athletic Bilbao season

The previous season, Athletic's German head coach Jupp Heynckes had guided them to a fine 5th-place finish in La Liga.{{cite web |title=LaLiga 1993/1994 Table, Results, Fixtures – (Football/Spain) |url=https://www.flashscore.co.uk/football/spain/laliga-1993-1994/standings/ |website=flashscore.co.uk |accessdate=25 November 2020}} This was their best finish for six years, and qualified them for the first round of the 1994–95 UEFA Cup after five seasons without European competition. However, Heynckes accepted an offer in July to return to his homeland with Eintracht Frankfurt,{{cite web |title=Eintracht Franfkurt - Trainer |url=https://www.kicker.de/eintracht-frankfurt/team-trainer/bundesliga/2013-14 |website=kicker |accessdate=25 November 2020}} leaving his Spanish employers searching for a new coach. New President José María Arrate turned to Racing Santander coach Javier Irureta, a successful Athletic player in the 1970s, who was duly appointed as the new head coach.{{cite web |title=San Mamés da el voto a Arrate |url=http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD01/HEM/1994/06/09/MD19940609-027.pdf |website=Mundo Deportivo |accessdate=25 November 2020}}

Their UEFA Cup first round opponents were Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus, and things did not get off to a good start, with a 2–0 away defeat in the first leg.{{cite web |title=Anorthosis-Athletic Club 1994 History |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51272/ |website=UEFA Europa League |accessdate=25 November 2020}} However, by half time in the return leg, Athletic were on level terms, and an 89th-minute goal from Genar Andrinúa was enough for them to sneak into the second round.{{cite web |title=Athletic Club-Anorthosis 1994 History |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51273 |website=UEFA Europa League |accessdate=25 November 2020}} They again lost the first leg, this time 3–2 in England against Newcastle United.{{cite web |title=Newcastle-Athletic Club 1994 History |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51384 |website=UEFA Europa League |accessdate=25 November 2020}} The home leg again provided an escape, although the margin was even tighter: a solitary goal from Cuco Ziganda saw Athletic progress on away goals.{{cite web |title=Athletic Club-Newcastle 1994 History |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51385 |website=UEFA Europa League |accessdate=25 November 2020}} In the third round, they faced Italian side Parma. This time, the first leg was at home, and they won 1–0, again courtesy of Ziganda.{{cite web |title=Athletic Club-Parma 1994 History |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51440 |website=UEFA Europa League |accessdate=25 November 2020}} However, the pattern of the first two rounds was mirrored in the second leg as Parma pulled off a 4–2 victory at Stadio Ennio Tardini to eliminate their Basque rivals.{{cite web |title=Parma-Athletic Club 1994 History |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51441 |website=UEFA Europa League |accessdate=25 November 2020}}

On 18 March, Athletic lost 2–0 at San Mamés to Sevilla, a result which left them in 11th place in the league, with just nine wins from their 26 matches.{{cite web |title=Primera División 1994/1995 » 26. Round |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/schedule/esp-primera-division-1994-1995-spieltag/26/ |website=worldfootball.net |accessdate=25 November 2020}} The club had seen enough, and Irureta was dismissed the following day.{{cite web |title=Irureta dice 'sí' a la Real |url=http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com/EMD01/HEM/1995/11/28/MD19951128-024.pdf |website=Mundo Deportivo |accessdate=24 November 2020}} Another former Athletic player, Athletic Bilbao B coach José María Amorrortu, was appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season.

Amorrortu's first match in charge was the second leg of the Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Deportivo La Coruña. Athletic carried a 3–0 deficit from the first leg, so the 0–0 draw at San Mamés saw them eliminated,{{cite web |title=El milagro del Athletic no llega con Amorrortu |url=http://hemeroteca-paginas.mundodeportivo.com./EMD01/HEM/1995/03/22/MD19950322-019.pdf |website=Mundo Deportivo |accessdate=25 November 2020}} although this marked their best cup run since reaching the same stage three years earlier. Amorrortu's appointment did improve their league form, however, and they recovered to finish 8th.{{cite web |title=LaLiga 1994/1995 Table, Results, Fixtures – (Football/Spain) |url=https://www.flashscore.co.uk/football/spain/laliga-1994-1995/standings/ |website=flashscore.co.uk |accessdate=25 November 2020}} At the end of the season, Yugoslavian Dragoslav Stepanović, formerly in charge of German club Bayer Leverkusen, was appointed as Irureta's permanent replacement.

{{cite web |title=Athletic Bilbao » Squad 1994/1995 |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/athletic-bilbao/1995/2/ |website=worldfootball.net |accessdate=25 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=Athletic Bilbao » Appearances Copa del Rey 1994/1995 |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/team_performance/athletic-bilbao/esp-copa-del-rey-1994-1995/ |website=worldfootball.net |accessdate=25 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=Athletic Bilbao » Appearances Europa League 1994/1995 |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/team_performance/athletic-bilbao/uefa-cup-1994-1995/ |website=worldfootball.net |accessdate=25 November 2020}}

{{Efs start|La Liga|Copa del Rey|UEFA Cup}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Kike Burgos

|pos=GK|nat=ESP| 0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Juanjo Valencia

|pos=GK|nat=ESP| 38|0|4|0|6|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Genar Andrinúa

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 25+1|1|3|0|6|1}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Sergio Corino

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 0|0|0|0|0+1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Eduardo Estíbariz

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 16+3|0|1|0|2|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Carlos García

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 1|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Aitor Karanka

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 32|1|1+1|0|4|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Andoni Lakabeg

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 7+7|0|0|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Jon Ander Lambea

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 0|0|0|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Iñigo Larrainzar

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 24+1|1|4|0|3|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Aitor Larrazábal

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 30+2|3|3|0|6|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Óscar Tabuenka

|pos=DF|nat=ESP| 18+1|1|4|0|3|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Bittor Alkiza

|pos=MF|nat=ESP| 26+8|1|1+2|0|4+2|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Ander Garitano

|pos=MF|nat=ESP| 34+1|4|3|0|6|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Andoni Goikoetxea

|pos=MF|nat=ESP| 27+1|1|4|0|4|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Julen Guerrero

|pos=MF|nat=ESP| 27|13|2|1|4|2}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Mikel Kortina

|pos=MF|nat=ESP| 0+5|0|0|0|0+1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Josu Urrutia

|pos=MF|nat=ESP| 31|0|2+1|0|4+1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Óscar Vales

|pos=MF|nat=ESP| 17+8|0|2+1|0|3|1}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Francisco Luque

|pos=FW|nat=ESP| 0+7|0|0+2|0|0|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Ricardo Mendiguren

|pos=FW|nat=ESP| 10+11|1|3+1|0|2+4|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Gonzalo Suances

|pos=FW|nat=ESP| 9+5|3|1|0|1+3|1}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Ernesto Valverde

|pos=FW|nat=ESP| 13+7|5|2|0|1|0}}

{{Efs player|no=|name=Cuco Ziganda

|pos=FW|nat=ESP| 33+4|3|4|3|6|3}}

|}

{{main|1994–95 La Liga}}

{{:1994–95 La Liga|showteam=ATH}}

{{main|1994–95 UEFA Cup}}

{{football box collapsible

|result = L

|date = 13 September 1994

|time =

|team1 = Anorthosis Famagusta {{flagicon|CYP|1960}}

|score = 2–0

|report = [https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51272 Report]

|team2 = {{flagicon|ESP}} Athletic Bilbao

|goals1 = Gogić {{goal|6}}
Pounas {{goal|51}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca

|attendance =

|referee = Atanas Usunov (Bulgaria)

}}

{{football box collapsible

|result = W

|date = 27 September 1997

|time =

|team1 = Athletic Bilbao {{flagicon|ESP}}

|score = 3–0

|report = [https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51273 Report]

|team2 = {{flagicon|CYP|1960}} Anorthosis Famagusta

|goals1 = Guerrero {{goal|17}}
Panayiotou {{goal|34|o.g.}}
Andrinúa {{goal|89}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao

|attendance =

|referee = Roger Philippi (Luxembourg)

}}

Athletic Bilbao won 3–2 on aggregate

{{football box collapsible

|result = L

|date = 18 October 1997

|time =

|team1 = Newcastle United {{flagicon|ENG}}

|score = 3–2

|report = [https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51384 Report]

|team2 = {{flagicon|ESP}} Athletic Bilbao

|goals1 = Fox {{goal|9}}
Beardsley {{goal|34|pen.}}
Cole {{goal|56}}

|goals2 = Ziganda {{goal|71}}
Suances {{goal|79}}

|stadium = St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne

|attendance =

|referee = Hellmut Krug (Germany)

}}

{{football box collapsible

|result = W

|date = 1 November 1994

|time =

|team1 = Athletic Bilbao {{flagicon|ESP}}

|score = 1–0

|report = [https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51385 Report]

|team2 = {{flagicon|ENG}} Newcastle United

|goals1 = Ziganda {{goal|68}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao

|attendance =

|referee = Angelo Amendolia (Italy)

}}

Newcastle United 3–3 Athletic Bilbao on aggregate. Athletic Bilbao won on away goals rule

{{football box collapsible

|result = W

|date = 22 November 1994

|time =

|team1 = Athletic Bilbao {{flagicon|ESP}}

|score = 1–0

|report = [https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51440 Report]

|team2 = {{flagicon|ITA}} Parma

|goals1 = Ziganda {{goal|48}}

|goals2 =

|stadium = San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao

|attendance = 46,000

|referee = Bo Karlsson (Sweden)

}}

{{football box collapsible

|result = L

|date = 6 December 1994

|time =

|team1 = Parma {{flagicon|ITA}}

|score = 4–2

|report = [https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/51441 Report]

|team2 = {{flagicon|ESP}} Athletic Bilbao

|goals1 = Zola {{goal|21}}
D. Baggio {{goal|39||48}}
Couto {{goal|64}}

|goals2 = Vales {{goal|56}}
Guerrero {{goal|75}}

|stadium = Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma

|attendance = 18,000

|referee = David Elleray (England)

}}

Parma won 4–3 on aggregate

• 1994–95 Copa del Rey
• Athletic Bilbao in European football

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.athletic-club.net/}} {{in lang|en|eu|es}}

{{Athletic Bilbao seasons}}

{{1994–95 in Spanish football}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1994-95 Athletic Bilbao season}}

Athletic Bilbao

Category:Athletic Bilbao seasons

Category:1994 in the Basque Country (autonomous community)

Category:1995 in the Basque Country (autonomous community)