Nestled between a line of white apartment blocks and a synthetic pitch perched on the rolling hills of Berio in San Sebastian, the modest grounds that Antiguoko now calls home have been the training ground for three of football's most recognizable names: Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. Roberto Montiel, the club's long‑time coach and vice‑president, still remembers the exact spot where the centre circle once lay. He sits today in what has become a public park, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together as he conjures the feel of the old surface beneath his fingertips. "The pitch back then was nothing like the immaculate turf you see now," Montiel recalls.
"It was a smaller area, covered with tiny stones that felt like gravel. The balls were heavier, especially when the rain turned them into soggy, sluggish spheres. You slipped, you slid, and a tumble often left you with a nasty scrape." Those humble conditions forged a reputation for the neighbourhood club that still echoes through the Basque Country. The games played on that gritty field by the future Arteta, Alonso and Iraola have become part of local folklore, especially now that two of them will meet as managers when Arsenal host Chelsea on Sky Sports this Sunday.
"Even then you could see their footballing vision," Montier adds, smiling. "Trying to thread a pass on a rain‑slick, pebble‑strewn pitch, with puddles everywhere and the ball getting filthy – it was something special to watch.
The squads that came through in the early ’80s were extraordinary." Arteta and Iraola belonged to the younger age group, while Alonso was part of the earlier cohort. "It felt like a miniature national team made up of the best talent in the area, and together we were unstoppable," says Álvaro Parra, a former Antiguoko teammate and close friend of Arteta. Parra remembers how easily they dispatched local rivals: "We would beat Real Sociedad 5‑0, we did the same to Athletic Club, and we swept every league title. People started calling us the Basque Dream Team." The club’s reputation for producing elite players remains intact.
In their modest offices a mile farther into town, near Ondarreta beach, Montiel jokes that they need more wall space to hang the ever‑growing collection of signed shirts from former graduates – now more than forty names, with Arteta, Alonso and Iraola occupying places of honour. It still amazes everyone, even those who grew up alongside them, that three boys born within fifteen miles of each other in Gipuzkoa, the smallest Spanish province, have risen to manage Premier League sides.
"If I really think about it, it’s absolutely bonkers that our three friends are now in charge of top‑flight English clubs," Parra says, chuckling. "Sometimes I switch on the TV and think, ‘Oh, there’s Mikel! Oh, there’s Xabi!
How did that happen?’" Yanguas, another former teammate, recalls Arteta’s early brilliance. "He was small but technically gifted and always thinking a step ahead.
He played just behind me and was constantly looking for the next pass. I just had to run into space for him," he says. Yanguas later followed Artura to Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, joking that his presence made the young Arteta look even better.
Parra, who played centre‑back, echoes the sentiment: "All I needed to do was feed the ball to Mikel, he’d feed it back, and we’d score." Montiel is full of anecdotes from that gravel pitch, many of which highlight Arteta’s early footballing intelligence. One story he loves to repeat involves a drop‑ball situation against Real Sociedad: the referee blew his whistle, the ball bounced, and a quick‑thinking Arteta flicked it with the outside of his boot, launching a long pass that set up a lone teammate for the winning goal.
Even when Arteta was a year older than Alonso, his competitive edge was evident. "He had a fierce look in his eyes, was hyper‑attentive to everything you said, and once on the pitch he became a predator," Montiel notes. That competitiveness has become a hallmark of Arteta’s managerial style. Montiel even remembers a childhood incident when Arteta, after beating him at a PlayStation game during a visit to Liverpool, slid down the hallway in a Jurgen Klinsmann‑style dive, a grin on his face.
"Whatever game you played with him, you always lost – PlayStation, ping‑pong, you name it. He was relentless. If you beat him, he’d get angry and go home," Parra adds, laughing.
Their friendship endured beyond the pitch. After Arteta’s debut season with Paris Saint‑Germain, he called Parra: "Pack your suitcase, we’re heading to Marbella." Though no photos survive, the memory remains vivid. Arteta’s disciplined nature, nurtured by his parents, helped him adapt quickly when he moved to Barcelona at fifteen.
Yanguas, who also showed promise on the sands of La Concha beach, returned home after a year, while Arteta thrived at La Masia, learning the language and culture swiftly. "He could adapt anywhere – France, Scotland, England – that’s a rare quality," Yanguas observes.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta expressed gratitude to Antiguoko: "Roberto used to tell me every day, ‘You’ll be a professional, one of the best in the country.’ He believed in me more than anyone. You need someone like that in your life." Today, the club’s new pitch sits higher up the slope, where an under‑16 side trains under the scorching midday sun. Montiel points to a slight midfielder, noting his technical prowess and the fact that he turned down an offer from Real Sociedad to stay with Antiguoko – a source of quiet pride for the coach. The club’s scouting network, led by sporting director Óscar Landa with a claimed 95 % success rate, continues to feed top clubs like Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao.
Yet many attribute Antiguoko’s sustained output to its unchanging DNA: competitive instinct, intensity and sporting discipline. Montiel says, "We never altered the core values – sacrifice, hard work, teamwork and competitiveness – and that’s why our graduates succeed." Iñigo Iraola, a cousin of Andoni and now a coach at the club, grew up idolising his relative. He recalls buying his first pair of Adidas boots with Andoni on his birthday in San Sebastian, a moment he still cherishes.
While Arteta was the outspoken captain, Iraola was quieter but equally talented. Montiel remembers him as a winger who, when given the ball on the byline, would beat two or three opponents, deliver a perfect pass and trigger a goal. Iraola’s transition to full‑back at Athletic under Ernesto Valverde was initially met with resistance, but Valverde recognised his attacking instincts and transformed him into a modern wing‑back.
Over a career spanning 510 appearances, Iraola evolved into a leader who leads by example rather than by shouting, a trait admired by his cousin. Former Antiguoko defender Ignacio Azpilicueta, who played behind Alonso, offers a unique perspective on the midfielder’s development.
From his defensive position, he witnessed Xabi’s passing range blossom as the youngster added physical strength and confidence. Azpilicueta recalls that early on, Alonso was a normal kid with a good sense of humour, but his intelligence and decision‑making set him apart, eventually propelling him to Champions League glory.
The club’s influence extends beyond the three household names. Recent graduates include Arsenal midfielder Martín Zubimendi – a World Cup winner after Alonso – and Rayo Vallecano manager Iñigo Pérez.
As the upcoming Arsenal‑Chelsea clash looms, the question remains: which side will the Antiguoko faithful support when Arteta and Alonso face off in north London? Gorka Azpeita, the club’s general director, jokes, "It’s like choosing between mum and dad – a draw would be perfect." The story of Antiguoko illustrates how a modest neighbourhood club, grounded in discipline, community and a relentless competitive spirit, can produce world‑class talent that shapes football at the highest level.