Unai Simón reflects on his journey with Athletic Club, emphasizing the importance of loyalty and community. He values winning with Athletic more than titles elsewhere. He looks forward to their Champions League campaign, highlighting the special bond with the fans and the unique atmosphere at San Mamés.
“Sometimes you need some luck; that was mine,” Unai Simón reflects, his voice tinged with gratitude. “What I thought might happen in five, six, seven years happened in 19 days.” August 2018 marked a turning point for the then 21-year-old goalkeeper. Despite a decade of training at Athletic Club and three years with the first team, Simón, the son of police officers from Vitoria, believed his chances of playing in Bilbao were slim. His aspirations led him 800km away, seeking opportunities with second division Elche. But fate had other plans.
As destiny would have it, Chelsea signed Kepa Arrizabalaga, setting off a chain of events that would alter Simón's career trajectory. Iago Herrerín suffered an injury, further complicating matters for Athletic Club. Contract renewal negotiations with Álex Remiro stalled, prompting the club to reconsider their goalkeeping options. In a surprising turn, they reached out to Elche, requesting the return of their on-loan goalkeeper. Simón hadn't even had the chance to play a competitive game for Elche.
“I only played once at the [Estadio] Martínez Valero and we won a trophy: the [pre-season] Lady of Elche Cup,” Simón recalls with a chuckle. “And I went from that, from fourth choice and out on loan, to playing at San Mamés on 20 August.” The whirlwind of events left Simón in disbelief. “I had to try to build my career somewhere else and hope that somehow, something would open up at Athletic in six or seven years and they might still have me in mind,” Simón explains. “Suddenly you’re given that opportunity and you’re shitting yourself. I didn’t sleep well.”
The atmosphere at San Mamés was electric on his debut. “San Mamés was packed, there were fiestas in Bilbao. You’re playing Leganes, who might not be the biggest opponents but for me it was like the Champions League final. In the opening minutes, there’s a ball I don’t come for and Yuri [Berchiche] gives me such a shout, screaming. And I think: ‘Shit, here we go.’ From that moment, everything changes.”
Now, years later, sitting at the Lezama training ground where he has honed his skills since the age of 10, Simón reflects on his journey. Seven years after winning the Lady of Elche Cup, he stands as Athletic’s and Spain’s undisputed No 1. He is preparing for the club’s first Champions League fixture since 2014, a testament to his perseverance and the club’s unique ethos.
“The Champions League is special for everyone, but for us especially, people from ‘home’. It makes us proud to show you compete this way, too. In Bilbao football starts with people who work in the forges putting together a team from the area. Football has expanded and become internationalised, it moves a lot of money, so that has been abandoned a bit, but our model links to that tradition, how football was. We’ve known each other all our lives which means that [while] we’re probably not the best team in terms of quality, in those bad moments we’re special. That’s who we are.”
Simón emphasizes the close-knit nature of the team, a brotherhood forged through shared experiences and a deep connection to the region. “Day to day, it’s nicer. Yesterday [Saturday] we lost to Alavés and all we wanted was to get back here, to see each other, lift each other, for the jokes to start again. To think: ‘In two days we have the Champions League.’ Playing a Champions League [campaign] fulfils you, that’s what you aspire to. But people see football in different ways.”
“Some prioritise money. Some, titles. Some are moved by playing alongside and for those who have given you everything. Of course I’d love to be the best goalkeeper in the world, of course I’d like to win the Champions League, do things that are hard to do at Athletic. But qualifying for it with Athletic, winning a cup with Athletic, fulfils me more than 10 titles anywhere else.”
Simón’s commitment to Athletic Club extends beyond personal ambition. He values the club’s traditions, its connection to the community, and the unique challenges it presents. He acknowledges that success at Athletic carries a different weight, a deeper sense of fulfillment than triumphs elsewhere.
Moreover, Simón is a European champion, having played a crucial role in Spain's Euro 2024 victory in Berlin. “I try to tell the kids in the academy that,” he says. “It will be hard but you can be at Athletic and be world class, like Nico [Williams] or [Dani] Vivi[an]. Or at other similar clubs, like Mikel Oyarzabal at la Real, like [Martín] Zubimendi. I’m very proud of that. I have a lot of affection for people who see football that way.”
He highlights the achievements of other players who have risen to prominence while staying true to their roots. “We’ve been playing really well for three years, everything smells of roses, it’s all lovely. But in [my] first few years we had to eat shit: we were close to relegation, we weren’t in Europe, we had bad moments. But even then – even then – there’s something. If you go to Liverpool or Bayern [Munich], you can win titles and of course you’ll love it, but … pfff … I’m not sure I could handle bad moments as well there as I do here. In that, Athletic is the best club. Then better times can come: winning the Copa del Rey, playing in Europe, hopefully enjoying wonderful Champions League nights this year.”
As Athletic Club prepares to face Arsenal, Simón acknowledges the challenge ahead but embraces the opportunity to compete against Europe's elite. “My mum loves to travel with Athletic, enjoy the atmosphere, but she doesn’t like football at all, all the less so if I play. Last year when Julen [Agirrezabala, Athletic’s backup goalkeeper] played the Europa League games, she was in the ground for every match; this year, when it looks like it might be me, she’ll probably stay outside. And then when the game’s over she’ll say to my dad: ‘Did he play well?’ I wouldn’t say my family’s an exception because I see it in all mums and dads. They don’t always have a good time because of the transcendence of it all.”
“I’ve been playing a long time, I know I have to live with mistakes. If my mum and people in my circle could understand that, maybe they could watch games more calmly. However much I say: ‘I’m fine, this is football,’ they don’t get it. It’s normal: they’re people who love me, worry about me. For an hour and a half they have a bad time, then they see things. I don’t read anything; the problem is my mum does. My dad doesn’t, he knows himself whether I have played well or not: I say [to my mum]: ‘Listen to your husband.’”
“I don’t enjoy games,” Simón concedes before cracking up. “My teammates will tell you that. I’m not someone who’s happy on the pitch. I try to be flat emotionally there; whether we score or I make a mistake I try to remain the same. What I enjoy is the day to day, being here at Athletic, the satisfaction of doing well, the adrenaline of having played in front of so many people. Nights such as Roma last year, Rangers. The Copa del Rey win. And hopefully the Champions League this year.
“I’m looking forward to listening to the anthem at San Mamés, hearing the fans pushing us, shouting for 90 minutes. These are the nights. I play football for these moments. If I wasn’t at Athletic, I don’t think I would enjoy football as much.”