Athletic Bilbao is the fourth most successful club in La Liga, with eight titles to its name. In the table of Copa del Rey titles, Athletic is second only to Barcelona, having won it 24 times. However, Athletic Bilbao has had little success in European football, having only made it to two finals in its 126-year history.
The club is known for its Cantera policy of bringing young Basque players through the ranks and recruiting players from other Basque clubs (the region where Bilbao is situated). Athletic's official policy is to sign players native to or trained in football in the greater Basque Country, which includes Biscay, Gipuzkoa, Álava, and Navarre (in Spain), as well as Labourd, Soule, and Lower Navarre (in France). Since 1912, Athletic has played exclusively with players meeting its criteria to be deemed Basque.