Founded in 1898, when Juan Astorquia and six other Basque students from the Gymnasium Zamacois began playing football in Lamiako, the club took the name Athletic Club, adopting the English spelling of the game they had encountered through Britain. In 1901, the club's founders formalised its organisation at a meeting in Bilbao's Café García.
From those beginnings came one of football's most unusual institutions. Athletic became known as Los Leones, the Lions, a reference to San Mamés, the stadium named after the Christian martyr said to have been thrown to the lions. The nickname would eventually become as much a part of the club's identity as its famous red-and-white stripes.
As Athletic approached its centenary in 1998, Kappa created a trio of shirts to mark the milestone, each offering a different take on the club's identity. The 1997-98 season saw Athletic wear three distinct designs: the traditional red-and-white striped home shirt and a striking blue-and-white half-and-half away shirt, both featuring a commemorative centenary graphic on the front, alongside an alternative home shirt dominated by a large, stylised lion's head. Of the three, the lion shirt is arguably the most striking.
Its abstract graphic pays homage to Athletic's famous Los Leones nickname, with the sweeping white form creating the lion's mane and head, while the shapes beneath suggest its open mouth and tongue.
And these were not simply anniversary shirts. They were worn during one of Athletic's most memorable modern seasons.
Under Luis Fernández, Athletic finished second in La Liga, nine points behind Barcelona. They also reached the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, where Mallorca eliminated them on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
In the UEFA Cup, Athletic overcame Sampdoria before facing Aston Villa. A goalless draw at San Mamés was followed by a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park, ending their European campaign in the second round.
With Julen Guerrero and Joseba Etxeberria among the leading figures, it was a season worthy of a centenary.
Nearly three decades later, the three Kappa designs remain a remarkable snapshot of Athletic at 100: one rooted in tradition, one embracing the adventurous style of 1990s football, and one turning the club's most famous nickname into a shirt.
Three shirts. One centenary. One unforgettable Athletic season.
