Barcelona welcome Athletic Club to the Spotify Camp Nou today in a fixture that doubles as a homecoming for the Blaugrana, as the club returns to its partially renovated stadium for the first time since 2023.
The match has added resonance because it reunites two sides that have long shared players and personalities.
On that note, here are three famous players whose names sit in the histories of both clubs.
Andoni Zubizarreta
A towering figure in Spanish goalkeeping for more than a decade, Andoni Zubizarreta made his name with both Athletic and Barcelona before retiring as one of La Liga’s most consistent custodians.
He began his top-level career with Athletic, later cementing legendary status at Barcelona, where he formed part of Johan Cruyff’s golden era and lifted the European Cup in 1992.
Zubizarreta’s longevity and reliability more than 950 professional appearances in a career that included multiple league titles and a long run with the Spanish national team, make him a defining link between the two clubs’ proud pasts.
Ernesto Valverde – Player and manager on both sides
Ernesto Valverde represented Athletic Club and Barcelona both as a player and a manager. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Ernesto Valverde is a rare figure who has represented both clubs as a player and later returned to both from the dugout.
As a forward, he enjoyed spells at Barcelona and, more extensively, at Athletic Bilbao.
His familiarity with Athletic Club would later contribute to a managerial relationship that yielded trophies and longevity.
Valverde’s coaching resume includes successful stints with Athletic Club and a high-profile period leading Barcelona, where he won domestic titles, most notably a domestic treble.
Today’s fixture is another chapter in a long-running football relationship that Valverde has helped to shape on and off the pitch.
Inigo Martinez – Modern bridge between Bilbao and Barça
Inigo Martinez’s career embodies the modern movement between Basque football and Catalan ambition.
The centre-back rose to prominence at Real Sociedad before becoming a key defender for Athletic Club.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 18: Inigo Martinez of FC Barcelona lifts the La Liga EA Sports title trophy following the La Liga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal CF at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on May 18, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
Inigo Martinez was a leader of Barcelona’s defence. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)
Martinez later joined Barcelona in 2023 on a free transfer and featured for the Blaugrana across two seasons.
In 2025, he moved on from Europe’s top leagues to a new challenge abroad, but his time in red-and-white and Blaugrana remains a recent reminder of how players continue to move between these two proud institutions.
Martinez’s switch from Athletic to Barcelona sparked plenty of discussion, mostly because of his age and injury record. However, once he left for Al Nassr, Barcelona found out what they actually lost.
Why it matters today
Matches like this are more than three points, as they are occasions that stitch decades of shared history into a single 90 minutes.
With Camp Nou again ringing to the sound of supporters, today’s game gives fans the chance to recall names like Zubizarreta, reflect on Valverde’s double-facing legacy, and remember the recent crossovers represented by players such as Martinez.
Now, there could have been another name on the list – Nico Williams – but given how the story panned out this past summer, the Athletic Club winger is likely to receive some hostilities from the home fans today.