San Mamés Stadium (1913)

San Mamés opened on 21 August 1913, with construction having begun on 20 January 1913 at a cost of 50,000 pesetas, to a design by architect Manuel María Smith. The stadium was built near a church dedicated to Saint Mammes (San Mamés), an early Christian martyr thrown to the lions by the Romans, which gave the club its nickname Los Leones (The Lions). The first match was a friendly between Athletic and Racing Club de Irún, a replay of the 1913 FEF Copa del Rey Final, with the famous striker Pichichi scoring the first goal at the ground. Until its demolition, San Mamés was Spain's oldest stadium, a characteristic that gave rise to the nickname La Catedral (The Cathedral), together with its revered status as one of the nation's most important venues, the devotion shown by the team's followers, the site's religious heritage, and the fact that Bilbao itself did not have a cathedral for some years afterwards. The stadium was almost entirely rebuilt to host matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, with further renovations in 1952 and 1982. San Mamés could seat almost forty thousand people and was known for the electric atmosphere its crowds created on match days. Six Spain national team matches were played at the stadium between 1921 and 1967, while the unofficial Basque Country team played 26 fixtures there between 1915 and 2011. Athletic's opponents in friendly matches over the years included the national teams of England and Poland in 1982, and World Cup holders Brazil in 1998 to mark Athletic's centenary. The stadium closed on 5 June 2013 and was demolished the following day. The club's new stadium, of the same name, was inaugurated on 16 September 2013.

San Mamés was known as La Catedral (The Cathedral), a nickname reflecting its status as Spain's oldest stadium at the time of its demolition, its revered place in Spanish football, and the site's religious heritage near the Church of San Mamés. The club's nickname Los Leones (The Lions) comes from the stadium's proximity to the church of Saint Mammes, an early Christian who was thrown to the lions by the Romans. The first goal at the stadium was scored by the legendary striker Pichichi, after whom La Liga's top scorer award is named. The stadium cost just 50,000 pesetas to build in 1913. It was almost entirely rebuilt to host matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Six Spain national team matches were played there between 1921 and 1967, while the unofficial Basque Country team played 26 fixtures at the ground between 1915 and 2011. World Cup holders Brazil visited San Mamés in 1998 to mark Athletic Bilbao's centenary. The stadium closed on 5 June 2013 and was demolished the very next day, 6 June 2013, making way for the new San Mamés, which opened on 16 September 2013.