Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Unai Emery - Basque. Europa League winner and top 5 finish in the Premier League
Mikel Arteta - Basque. Premier League winner this season and in the Champions League Final
Andoni Iraola - Basque. Qualified for Europe this season.
Xabi Alonso - Basque (starts at Chelsea on 1st July)

From an area almost the same size and population of Wales, it's pretty impressive!

[Dorcus]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

I've always liked Basques. They give plenty of uplift and support where it matters

[Mr Soul '68]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

I've always liked Basques. They give plenty of uplift and support where it matters

It's a lovely part of the world. Spent a couple of months there in 1993. The Basques love it if you speak a little bit of their language. Back then, they would prefer to speak a little English to you, rather than Spanish , the language of their oppressors (in their eyes).

[Dorcus]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

It's a lovely part of the world. Spent a couple of months there in 1993. The Basques love it if you speak a little bit of their language. Back then, they would prefer to speak a little English to you, rather than Spanish , the language of their oppressors (in their eyes).

Euskadi, difficult language though.

[splott parker]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

[QUOTE=Dorcus;5651043]Euskadi, difficult language though.[

Proud lot, the Basques.

[Eddie Johnson]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

I've always liked Basques. They give plenty of uplift and support where it matters

Help hide the beer belly too!

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

It's a lovely part of the world. Spent a couple of months there in 1993. The Basques love it if you speak a little bit of their language. Back then, they would prefer to speak a little English to you, rather than Spanish , the language of their oppressors (in their eyes).

I met a Basque language teacher in Egypt and subsequently met up with him in Bilbao last year. He took my good lady and me around the area and was hugely informative about the language and culture. He spoke very good English but tries not to speak Spanish and has his mobile phone on an English language format.

[dandywarhol]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

I wonder if any of them were members of the basque separatists movement ETA

[light up the darkness]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

Spent many a happy time in and around the coast near San Sebastián. The locals are so friendly once they find out you’re from Wales they treated me like a long lost brother.

If you have a chance please try to visit the English Cemetary.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-english-cemetery-at-san-sebastian#

It’s in a beautiful location and the remains of a lot of British soldiers and sailors who died in the area over the years . In particular those who died at or shortly after Arthur Wellesley’s (later the Duke of Wellington) army saw off the French at Vitoria in 1813.

Coincidently not far from where Edward the Black Prince gave the Spanish and French knights a whooping in 1367

[RichardM]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

Unai Emery - Basque. Europa League winner and top 5 finish in the Premier League
Mikel Arteta - Basque. Premier League winner this season and in the Champions League Final
Andoni Iraola - Basque. Qualified for Europe this season.
Xabi Alonso - Basque (starts at Chelsea on 1st July)

From an area almost the same size and population of Wales, it's pretty impressive!

Arteta did his coaching badges in Wales.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

Spent many a happy time in and around the coast near San Sebastián. The locals are so friendly once they find out you’re from Wales they treated me like a long lost brother.

If you have a chance please try to visit the English Cemetary.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-english-cemetery-at-san-sebastian#

It’s in a beautiful location and the remains of a lot of British soldiers and sailors who died in the area over the years . In particular those who died at or shortly after Arthur Wellesley’s (later the Duke of Wellington) army saw off the French at Vitoria in 1813.

Coincidently not far from where Edward the Black Prince gave the Spanish and French knights a whooping in 1367

The reference to Wellington in his noble title relates to the town just 6 miles from me - and the old-fashioned picture house there is called the Wellesley cinema.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

I wonder if any of them were members of the basque separatists movement ETA

It's funny to think that British tourists were sunning themselves on the Costa Blance when Frence was still in power.
And that David Bowie's Space Oddity was top of the charts when he died.

[splott parker]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

It's funny to think that British tourists were sunning themselves on the Costa Blance when Frence was still in power.
And that David Bowie's Space Oddity was top of the charts when he died.

I’ve been to Spain when Franco was still in charge. Page 3 of The Sun had a black band over the tits

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Re: Successful Basque managers in the Premier League

It's funny to think that British tourists were sunning themselves on the Costa Blance when Frence was still in power.
And that David Bowie's Space Oddity was top of the charts when he died.

Oops. Franco