From Lima's Dusty Pitches to Bilbao: How Athletic Villa is Changing Lives in Peru
The Athletic Club spirit reaches Peru's vulnerable communities, with the 'Lionesses of the Sand' bringing Basque football values to Lima's poorest districts.
Athletic Club’s famous red and white stripes are making waves 9,500km from San Mamés, transforming lives in one of Peru’s most vulnerable communities.
The Lionesses of Lima
Football passion knows no borders, and Athletic Club’s unique identity has found an unexpected home in Lima’s Villa El Salvador district. This Friday, Ibaigane Palace welcomed three representatives from the VillaGol & Bizkaia Koopera project, an initiative blending football with social change in Peru’s challenging environments.
The delegation included Juan Abanto, founder of Athletic Villa, alongside players and coaches Gianela Alvarado and Cecibel Zevallos. They were received by Athletic Club officials and representatives from the Provincial Council of Bizkaia in what represents the latest chapter of a relationship that’s been brewing for years.
A Basque-Peruvian Connection
The bond between Bilbao and this Lima settlement has deep roots. Visits from rojiblancos legends like:
- Carlos Gurpegui (2008)
- Óscar de Marcos (2013)
planted seeds that have blossomed into Athletic Villa, a proper team proudly sporting the red and white kit. What started as friendly visits has evolved into a comprehensive program that’s changing the game—literally—for thousands of young people.
More Than Football
The numbers are proper impressive. The project currently improves the lives of 150 registered female players and reaches over 3,000 children each season. In neighborhoods where gang violence and drugs are the default path for many youngsters, football offers a lifeline—a different sort of team to belong to.
But this ain’t just about kicking a ball around. The Peruvian delegation’s visit has serious purpose: they’re seeking training in sports methodology and child protection protocols to ensure Lima’s dirt pitches become safe spaces for women and girls.
Unique in the World, Indeed
Athletic Club’s famous motto—“Unique in the World”—typically refers to their Basque-only player policy. But this partnership shows the club’s uniqueness extends well beyond recruitment philosophy.
Supported by the ‘Sport and Development’ association and the Bizkaia Koopera program, the project demonstrates how football’s power can transform communities even when they’re half a world away from the mother club.
For the “Lionesses of the Sand” in Lima, those red and white stripes represent much more than football colours—they’re the threads of hope weaving a better future.