The goalkeepers will wear black for Iribar

Athletic, on the occasion of today’s celebration of the 80th birthday of the legendary José Ángel Iribar, made “an invitation to all the clubs of the first two professional categories” of Spanish football to “join the initiative played by their goalkeepers in black. this weekend, on day 24 of LaLiga and 29 of LaLiga Smartbank”. LaLiga also adds to the Bilbao club’s tribute to “a legend of our football”. Real Sociedad, Valencia, Seville, Getafe and Cádiz, among others, have already given their approval to it.

Iribar, the footballer with the most official matches played with Athletic and an international goalkeeper, has already contacted all his agreed clubs and categories in Bizkaia for their goalkeepers to wear black, clothing identifying Iribar on his “unforgettable phase as a player”.

The entity led by Jon Uriarte “has extended its tribute to professional football through LaLiga and the Technical Committee of Referees” so that, “to this day, two goalkeepers of any professional category facing each other can wear same color”. Athletic explained that “the refereeing department has expressed its agreement” in this regard and that “LaLiga has also conveyed its cooperation when it comes to allowing the color of the goalkeeper kit to be repeated today.”

In addition, “if for any reason it is not possible for a goalkeeper to play in black”, the Bilbao club proposed that the goalkeepers “pose black in the official picture of the eleven”.

Athletic also announced that “a large number of professional goalkeepers, from both competitions and even foreign ones, have expressed their intention to participate in the initiative in recent weeks on their own initiative”. For this reason, the rojiblanca entity “wishes to extend the invitation to all LaLiga teams for the day on March 3, 4, 5 and 6”.