It’s the international break, and in Spain, Luis Enrique’s side are preparing for their Uefa Nations League meeting with England in Seville next Monday.
Ahead of the game in Andalusia, the country also played host to another international match on Friday evening. A friendly game between the Basque Country – not officially recognised as an ‘official’ team by Fifa – and Venezuela took place in Alaves’ Mendizorrotza stadium in Vitoria-Gasteiz.
All of the players representing the Basque side were born in the autonomous region in northern Spain, as well as the neighbouring Navarre area and the part of Basque Country which is situated on the other side of the French border.
Several of those players who participated on Friday night had also represented Spain, including 37-year-old Aritz Aduriz – currently La Roja’s oldest goalscorer – who captained the side.
Aduriz plays his football for Athletic Club (Athletic Bilbao, as they are more commonly known), a club which continues to only play Basque-born players. His Athletic teammates Inaki Williams and Inigo Martinez also played, as did Real Sociedad’s Asier Illarramendi. All have played for the Spanish national side in the past.
Aduriz was amongst the scorers as the Basques recorded a 4-2 victory against the South Americans, currently the 32nd best country in world football according to Fifa’s rankings.
The people of the Basque region still speak their own own language – believed to be one of the oldest in Europe. They are fiercely proud of their region with many of them believing it should be independent of the rest of Spain.
