🙌From rivals to friends: Athletic’s gesture on their trip to Dortmund | OneFootball

Next Wednesday, Athletic Club will play the second matchday of the UEFA Champions League against Borussia Dortmund and is organizing a Champions League pre-match event with fans, featuring a program full of values: Walking Football with Gurpegui as captain at the black and yellow club's facilities, planting an oak tree, and a third time of football fraternity.

In Europe, those who know Athletic Club know that its philosophy is unique. But perhaps there are those who do not know that this way of competing has a meaning and represents a way of conceiving football and life. For the Athleticzale family, a Champions League trip is much more than a football match, even when the match is held at the legendary Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, where we find the most impressive standing terrace on the continent known as the Yellow Wall (Gelbe Wand).

As with the Club's own philosophy, the journey – the means – is as important as the match – the end – and, for this reason, the zurigorri fanbase tries to be there the day before or very early in the morning, to be able to enjoy the day in the city and leave their calling card: a predominantly family-oriented, respectful, cheerful fanbase, proud of their identity and eager to make football a celebration.

As part of the #FollowSomethingUnique campaign, the Athletic Club Foundation has organized a Champions League pre-match event with fans to add to the usual good atmosphere of the red and white away trips.

What will the #FollowSomethingUnique program in Dortmund be like?

To start the day doing some sport, a game of Walking Football wearing the Athletic shirt alongside, none other than, Carlos Gurpegui as captain. The place, the Borussia Dortmund facilities, next to Signal Iduna Park. The time, 10:30, with a call at 10:00 to get dressed and warm up. The opponent, a team made up of German team fans.

Those interested in playing this Walking Football match can sign up by clicking here.

Registration deadline: Friday, September 26, at 9:00. In the event that the applications received exceed the number of call-ups, 20 people, the Foundation will hold a draw among those registered on the same Friday at 12:00 noon.

A motto that transforms rivalry into friendship

After the match and the shower, but before the third time, around 12:30 noon, a joint planting of an oak tree as a sign of gratitude to the host city. Next to the oak tree, a plaque will be placed with the following message:

“Wir kamen als Rivalen, wir gehen als Freunde. Danke, Dormund, eskerrik asko”

Which means: "We came as rivals, we leave as friends. Thank you, Dortmund, eskerrik asko".

An oak tree as a symbol of unity, as the seed of a friendship that begins with the match and grows over time.

Finally, Athletic Club announces that its intention is to repeat this initiative on other interesting trips during the Champions League.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.