Sports

The construction of San Mamés Barria, Athletic Bilbao''s new stadium, got underway on Wednesday with the laying of the first stone during an act attended by its five associate members: Basque President Patxi López, the president of Biscay, José Luis Bilbao, city mayor, Iñaki Azkuna, president of BBK, Mario Fernández and the club president, Fernando García Macua.

The ritually performed act, of great symbolic importance, was started by José Angel Iribar, who removed a piece of turf from the current stadium. The same turf was then transported to the new site via a long human chain made up of children and young members from the club''s various youth teams.

Subsequently, team player Iker Muniain took a tile from the façade of the current San Mames, which was also taken to its new location, twenty metres from the existing one.

On their arrival at the new site, both the turf and the tile were placed inside an urn by the club''s most veteran member, Federico Urrieta, and its youngest, Eneko Vivanco - still little more than a baby - with the purpose of "preserving forever the elements of the present for a stadium of the future".

Following this part of the act, the Choral Society of Bilbao sang a version of the club''s anthem.

300 guests were invited to partake in Wednesday''s ceremony, including politicians, public figures, ex-players and fan club representatives.

The club President, Macua, was the only person to speak during the act, a moment he described as "transitional" in which "the past, present and future of the red and white club" had been brought together in "what will enable a huge qualitative and quantitative structural step, essential to its survival".