History

In late October 1967, Juan José Campo, the town's councillor for culture, and José Antonio de la Peña ran into each other on the Triano train. They talked about what everyone in town talked about: Muskiz had no sport but football. Right there they decided to start a club.

First they paced out the Genaro Riestra square, today Sobalbadún, but it was too small for a court. In December they asked Juventud Deportiva Somorrostro to open a handball section; the answer was no, and the group went ahead on its own.

On 9 February 1968 nine people met and elected the first board by secret ballot: president, Juan José Campo; vice-president, Rafael Romero; secretary, José María Pazos; treasurer, Javier Santibáñez. The club was called Unión Deportiva Muñatones.

Source: Book «El balonmano en Muskiz (1968-2008)», pp. 19-20

The senior team plays in the Second Regional division; in 1969-70 the first under-18 team starts, and so does the first men's basketball team. In 1972-73 the seniors reach the First Regional division. School teams of children aged eight to fourteen fill the Cantarrana playgrounds, and in 1973-74 Cantarrana school has the club's first federated school team.

From 1972 the club runs summer trips: Santillana del Mar and Comillas, ten days in Galicia in 1973, Barcelona in 1974, and nine more years after that. A small surcharge on the ticket paid for the players' registrations in September.

In 1977-78 the first women's senior handball team takes the court, with players from the Cantarrana school programme. The same season the men's under-18s win the Federation Cup against Erandio, in Urduliz, by one goal in extra time. In 1978 the club says goodbye to Juan José Campo, its first president.

Source: Book «El balonmano en Muskiz (1968-2008)», pp. 22 and 29-45

In the first year under the new name, the seniors play in the First Provincial division. The girls' teams keep growing: in 1988-89 the under-16 girls win the Bizkaia League. The teams are presented at Cantarrana school, which is starting to feel small.

In 1989-90 the men's seniors win promotion to the First Territorial division and stay up the following year.

Source: Book «El balonmano en Muskiz (1968-2008)», pp. 61-69

In 2000-01 the men's seniors win their league in the Bizkaia B Championship. In 2001 the club twins with Itxako of Estella, from the women's top division, and every team travels to Estella.

The same year the Muskiz Town Council Handball Trophy begins, organised by the council's sports department with Petronor's support. Until 2008 Muskiz sees F.C. Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Portland San Antonio, Bidasoa, Arrate and Ciudad Real, and in January 2003, a Basque Country v Argentina game.

In 2008 the club turns forty. On 19 November 2009 the book «El balonmano en Muskiz (1968-2008)» is presented at Meatzari Aretoa, with texts and photos gathered by José Antonio de la Peña Arranz and Marta de la Peña Izaguirre, published with the town council and Petronor.

Source: Book «El balonmano en Muskiz (1968-2008)», pp. 97-103 · Petronor, 19-11-2009

Since 2020, handball in Muskiz has above all been a girls' sport. In 2020-21 the club already has seven women's and girls' teams (under-12, two under-14, two under-16, senior and veterans) and six men's and boys' teams. Today there are eighteen teams: eight for girls and women, five for boys and men and five mixed, and two out of every three licences belong to girls. In the town, handball is the number one sport among girls.

In 2020, when the agreement with Zuazo ended, the women's senior team nearly disappeared. Eight or nine players saved it: they entered a team in the Provincial league and, with help from some of the veterans, have kept it going to this day, when it is flourishing again. With short squads, sometimes without a goalkeeper, they have played four play-offs for promotion to the Basque League in six years: the 2021-22 Bizkaia Final Four in Barakaldo, with Alfonso Fernández; the 2023-24 play-off in Mundaka, with Endika and Iñaki Cieza, where they beat San Adrián 28-22 and lost the final to Urdaibai; the 2024-25 Final Four in Berango, with Roberto García «Jabo»; and in 2025-26 the Final 4 the club itself hosted in Muskiz, again with Endika Cieza. Promotion has not come yet.

And the girls win. In 2022-23 the under-16 girls are Basque champions (Federazio Saria). In 2023-24 the first-year under-12 girls win their league and the veterans are Cup runners-up, and in September 2024 they win the 10th veterans' tournament in León. In January 2025 the under-16 girls, second in their group at the play-off in Ermua, go up to the Basque League, and in January 2026 they do it again. In 2025-26 the veterans win the Bizkaia Cup. 9 May 2026 is a day to remember: the 2013 under-14 girls, already league winners, become Bizkaia champions by beating Kukullaga 32-23 in the final in Durango; the under-18 girls win the Bizkaia Cup final, 26-34 in Berango; and the 2014 under-12 girls, after beating Basauri in the semi-final, finish as Bizkaia runners-up. On the sand, the Kolosaurias play two Spanish Championships in a row: in 2025 the under-16 girls win their group and finish 16th out of 32, and in 2026 they are back, together with the under-14 girls, the only under-14 team from the Basque Country in the championship.

Paula García, who came through the club and is its all-time top scorer, has played five seasons in a row in the Liga Guerreras Iberdrola since 2021: with Zuazo (2021-22), Beti Onak (2022-24), Morvedre (2024-25) and Zonzamas (2025-26). At Zuazo she was voted player of the week, and in 2024 she became European beach handball champion with Ciudad de Málaga. On the men's side, Lander Simón reached the Liga Asobal: he made his debut in 2023 with Puerto Sagunto and played the following season with Villa de Aranda.

In 2022 a group of young people set up Kolosaurios, the beach handball section. Today it is the club with the most beach handball players in the Basque Country, and since 2025 it has run the La Arena beach tournament, whose first edition brought together more than five hundred players. Its youth teams travel too: in 2024 the under-18 boys are Basque champions and play in Laredo the first Arena 1000 for a Kolosaurios youth team; in 2025 five teams go to the one in Sanxenxo, and in 2025 and 2026 they play the Spanish Championship in Laredo.

In the men's game, Senior Euskadi have not dropped out of the Basque League since 2018-19: season after season they hold their place, which confirms the club's good work. Alongside them a second senior team has grown, the B senior team, set up in 2018-19. In 2020-21, during the pandemic, the Basque League is played behind closed doors and the club streams its home games on Twitch. In August 2023, during the pre-season, Edorta Mansilla passed away. He had coached the second promotion to the Basque League and was returning to the senior bench as assistant coach alongside his friend Sergio Arce. In December 2023 the veterans pay tribute to Edorta with a game against the junior senior team. In 2023-24 the men's B senior team, coached by Eduardo López, wins promotion to the First Provincial division, celebrating with the fans at Kadagua's ground after a 27-32 win on 17 March 2024. The boys' youth teams, after years with no teams at all, are winning again too. The under-16 boys are Bizkaia Cup runners-up three years running, from 2021-22 to 2023-24. In 2022-23 the under-14 boys win their league without losing a game, and in 2023-24 the 2013 under-12 boys win theirs. In January 2025 the under-16 and under-18 boys make the club Bizkaia club champions in boys' youth handball for the first time in its history, and the under-16 boys win all three games of their play-off group in Zumarraga and go up to the Basque League. That season, 2024-25, the club has teams in every age group, from under-8 to senior, boys and girls, for the first time in decades. In December 2025 the under-16 boys become Bizkaia champions by beating Corazonistas.

José Antonio de la Peña passed away in April 2024. He had been a player, coach and president, and was honorary president. That week there was a minute's silence at every handball game in Bizkaia. A month later comes the club's first Spanish Championship in youth handball, and at home. Gorka Cabañas's under-14 boys, Bizkaia champions for the second year running and Basque champions in Basauri (34-25 against ZKE and 45-28 against Corazonistas), play their group in Muskiz from 17 to 19 May against Mata de Jonc, La Jota and Covadonga. They beat Mata de Jonc 36-23, draw 26-26 with La Jota and lose 27-28 to Covadonga. They finish second, and only the winner went through.

On 11 January 2025 Txeli passed away, one of the club's great names: a player, a coach and a driving force behind girls' and women's handball in Muskiz. In 2024-25 Endika Cieza's Senior Euskadi set the club's record points total in the Basque League and win the club's first Bizkaia Cup, three years after losing the 2022 final in Lasesarre. In 2025-26, coached by David Vegas, qualify for the promotion play-off for the First National division for the first time in the club's history: the Basque Final 4 in Legazpi on 2 and 3 May 2026. Elgoibar win the semi-final 21-18. They don't go up, but it opens a new path.

Today the club has 224 players with a federation licence, and around 147 of them are girls and women: 66%.

Source: RFEBM, 9-5-2022 · Tele7, 30-4-2024 and 15-5-2024 · Deia, 2-5-2024 · Petronor, 14-7-2025 · Club records · Bizkaia federation · Wikipedia, Noticias de Navarra and balonmano.info · Club Instagram, 30-4-2026 and 1-7-2026 · Basque federation (match 47219)