Club: Athletic Club (commonly Athletic Bilbao)

• Country: Spain
• Home city/region: Bilbao, Basque Country
• Stadium (2016/17): San Mamés (capacity ~53,000)
• Club philosophy: Famous for its cantera policy of selecting players with Basque heritage or who developed at Basque clubs

Head Coach (2016–17): Ernesto Valverde

• Nationality: Spanish
• Tenure: Valverde rejoined Athletic Club as head coach in the summer of 2013 and remained through the 2016/17 season (he left in 2017 to manage FC Barcelona).
• Coaching style: Organized, pragmatic possession-based approach with emphasis on quick transitions and solid defensive structure; made effective use of the club's youth talents.

2016/17 Season Summary (domestic & cup competitions):

• La Liga: Athletic finished 7th in La Liga 2016/17, qualifying for the following season's UEFA Europa League qualifiers.
• Copa del Rey: Athletic reached the final of the 2016/17 Copa del Rey. The final was played against Barcelona; Athletic lost on aggregate due to Barcelona's stronger finish (the final was a single match at a neutral venue where Barcelona won 3–1).
• European competitions: Athletic did not participate in the 2016/17 UEFA competitions (they had been in the UEFA Europa League in the 2015/16 season but were not in Europe that year).

Notable players around 2016/17:

• Aritz Aduriz – striker and key goalscorer (one of the club's most important attacking threats)
• Iker Muniain – winger/attacking midfielder, creative influence
• Ander Iturraspe – central midfielder (experienced club midfielder)
• Mikel San José – central defender/midfielder
• Óscar de Marcos – versatile right-sided player
• Iñaki Williams – young forward with strong pace (emerging star)
• Aymeric Laporte – center-back (Basque-qualified; a defensive mainstay during this period)
• Unai Núñez (came through youth, broke into squad around this era)

Tactics & formation (typical):

• Valverde frequently used a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 diamond, switching depending on opponents.
• Emphasis on width from full-backs and wingers, aerial strength and direct finishing from Aduriz, and disciplined midfield pressing.

Club colours and crest:

• Home kit: red-and-white vertical stripes, black shorts.
• Crest: the traditional Athletic Club shield featuring the city symbols of Bilbao and Biscay.

Additional context: Under Valverde, Athletic enjoyed relative stability and competitive performances domestically, highlighted by good cup runs and consistent top-half league finishes while maintaining the club's Basque identity and youth development focus.