Inside the Basque ‘dream team’ that produced Iraola, Arteta and Alonso
Antiguoko, a small club in San Sebastian, has become an unlikely powerhouse, producing three current Premier League managers.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 4.0 / Author: AFC Bournemouth
Tucked away behind a row of moped bays in San Sebastian, Antiguoko appears to be an unassuming local club. Yet, it holds the distinction of having nurtured three of the most prominent managers in the Premier League: Andoni Iraola, Mikel Arteta, and Xabi Alonso.
For a small neighbourhood club, the achievement is extraordinary. Coaches at the club explain that their success is not built on secret tactics, but on a culture of passion, strong family environments, and an early focus on technical ability and character development. It was here that these future managers first learned to navigate the game, often competing against older opponents.
We now have three Antiguoko coaches in the Premier League. The three from Antiguoko are at top-tier clubs of the highest level. Roberto Montiel
A significant part of their development took place on the beaches of La Concha, where training involved overcoming the natural challenges of sand, puddles, and fierce winds. These conditions, the club maintains, were essential in shaping the players' resilience and adaptability from a young age.
Today, Antiguoko remains a revered name in Spanish youth football. While the club has modernized its facilities through a partnership with Athletic Bilbao, moving from gravel to artificial turf, it continues to serve as a mini-national team of sorts, producing players and coaches who go on to excel at the highest level of the professional game.