The tradition of prayer ‘Our Father’ in the Athletic locker room went viral again this Sunday on the networks. And that’s it ‘the lions’ performed this ritual again before the start of the Basque derby against Real Sociedad. This practice of Athletic players has been known since television cameras They can access the locker rooms of First Division teams.
Just before jumping onto the grass, The red and white team played in this emotional moment when they all prayed the “Our Father” together in the locker room. As can be seen in the video, the person responsible for leading the ritual was Iñaki Williams, one of the captains of Athletic.
Rituals.
Legacy.
Tradition.The 𝑷𝒂𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐 of @AthleticClub before the Basque derby. ⚪️🔴#LaCasaDelFútbol pic.twitter.com/rNghayqQnj
– Football on Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarFutbol) November 24, 2024
Taken by the shoulder, united in prayereven if not everyone shows the same fervor. Iñaki Williams runs the so-called ‘the captain’s prayer’they pray out loud, but most of the staff attends the meeting in silence. It all ends with applause.
Expression of team identity and values
Although it is a deep-rooted custom, it is unclear when exactly this practice began. What is clear is that it is an expression of the team’s identity and values, a link with the history and culture of Athletic. In the past, the prayer started from a priest and there were times when the president or the coach was the monitor.
An Athletic legend like Iker Muniain He already explained in his time that this ritual is “a symbolic tradition which has been transmitted and perpetuated from generation to generation, even if today there are few believers in the costume. Before, people were more religious than children today.
