Athletic Club and Real Sociedad to recreate the historic 1976 ikurriña image at San Mamés

Sunday's Basque derby at San Mamés will begin with a tribute that connects two eras of Spanish football. Athletic Club and Real Sociedad have agreed to recreate the image of José Ángel Iribar and Inaxio Kortabarria walking onto the pitch with the ikurriña, a gesture that took place on 5 December 1976 at Atotxa and still holds its significance half a century later. The ceremony will be held in the moments before the LaLiga EA Sports matchday 11 fixture.

• Iribar and Kortabarria will once again carry the original ikurriña used at Atotxa in 1976.
• The current players of both teams will form a guard of honour to welcome the two former footballers.
• The protagonists and the squads will pose together to reproduce one of the most emblematic images of both clubs.
• The tribute will take place before the Athletic Club - Real Sociedad match on matchday 11 of LaLiga EA Sports.
• Both clubs are asking fans to arrive at the stadium early enough to watch the ceremony.

What happened on 5 December 1976 at Atotxa

What happened that afternoon at the old Donostia stadium remained etched in the shared memory of Real Sociedad, Athletic Club and Basque society. The two teams walked onto the pitch captained by Inaxio Kortabarria and José Ángel Iribar carrying an ikurriña, at a time when the symbol had no legal recognition. The image went beyond the sporting arena and became a reference that five decades later still carries its historical and social weight.

How the ikurriña tribute at San Mamés will unfold

The ceremony has been designed as a joint initiative between the two clubs. José Ángel Iribar and Inaxio Kortabarria will step back onto the pitch carrying the same flag they used at Atotxa. They will be welcomed by a guard of honour formed by the current Athletic and Real Sociedad players.

After that reception, everyone will pose together to recreate one of the most recognisable scenes in the recent history of both institutions and to pay tribute to the action led by the players in 1976. The ceremony aims to bring that gesture back to the present and honour those who carried it out.

The role of Iribar and Kortabarria in the tribute

The two original protagonists are once again at the centre of the event. Iribar, former goalkeeper and Athletic legend, and Kortabarria, former Real Sociedad captain, will repeat at San Mamés the role they played at Atotxa fifty years ago. Their presence gives continuity to the symbolism of that image and connects generations who lived through it with those of today.

The matchday 11 Basque derby at San Mamés

The tribute will serve as a prelude to the match between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad at the Bilbao stadium. The fixture is part of matchday 11 of the league season and brings together two teams accustomed to competing for ambitious targets each year. The pre-match ceremony adds a symbolic dimension to a duel that already stirs both fan bases.

Advice for fans attending San Mamés

Both institutions have encouraged ticket holders to enter the stadium well in advance. The aim is for them to watch the tribute and take part in an event that will be held in the minutes before kick-off.

Frequently asked questions about the ikurriña tribute