Devolution's halfway house
They were weeping as they collected their runners-up medals, strapping men wiping red eyes on their red-and-white shirts. Barcelona, on the night of the Copa del Rey, had been magical as usual, Athletic Bilbao didn't stand a chance once. But this was an especially hard defeat, met with pure grief.
For Bilbao continue to do something that the rest of Europe – nay, the rest of the sporting world – has long since abandoned. Through 80 years in La Liga, through eight league championships and 12 cup triumphs, they've basically only recruited from the Basque country. They are the team of a nation in waiting, a repository of faith beyond chequebook and slightly manufactured patriotism.… Seguir leyendo »