The moment of the weekend came at San Mamés
Oihan Sancet announced his contract renewal in an unusual way
In the age of digital, the age of social media, the age of TikTok, the age of online, Athletic Club did things differently. Because they are different. And this was perhaps the best demonstration of it yet.
After Saturday’s game against Getafe at San Mamés, Oihan Sancet took the microphone on the field following the final whistle. “Eskerrik asko,” he began in Basque, before transitioning into Spanish.
“Athletic and myself have some news for you. We wanted you to be the first to know. I’ve renewed.”
The reaction from the stands said it all. The biggest roar of the afternoon went up as fans jumped in joy and celebrated as if Sancet had just scored the last-minute winner that had proved elusive during the match.
That connection between fans and players is what makes Athletic so special. The obvious starting point is the fact that Athletic’s players are all locals, many of them having come through the club’s youth ranks to play for the club of their dreams.
Sancet hails from Pamplona in Navarra, and he was with Osasuna until the age of 15 before he joined Athletic. Seven years on, he has put pen to paper on a deal which will keep him in Bilbao until 2032. It’s a landmark contract over nine years to put an end to speculation.
With eight goals this season, Sancet is Athletic’s top goalscorer this season and is the closest that the club have come to a solution to their ongoing attacking woes which have been an issue ever since the retirement of Aritz Aduriz in 2020.
His versatility and technical ability is what sets him apart. The likes of Liverpool have been linked with him for good reason and his talent is undeniable, and now too is his commitment to Athletic.
At only 22, he has the best years of his career ahead of him and has all it takes to become a club legend over the next decade. Just like his team-mate Iker Muniain, who broke into the side as a youngster, he can write himself into the history books at San Mamés.
But Athletic’s way of announcing this was more than a little special. As ticket prices soar for match-going fans, the experience becomes increasingly online.
Clubs prioritise digital channels to communicate, with big signings seen as an opportunity to get big figures for impressions, reach, video views, likes or retweets.
Athletic got all that too, sharing the video with subtitles in Spanish, Basque and English, racking up more than 600,000 views in just 12 hours. But first, they provided Oihan Sancet with an utterly unforgettable moment, and gave their fans something to celebrate.