Andoni Imaz

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Andoni Imaz
Andoni Imaz billabonatarra (94-427) (cropped).jpg
Imaz in 1994
Personal information
Full name Andoni Imaz Garmendia [1]
Date of birth (1971-09-05) 5 September 1971 (age 54) [1]
Place of birth Zizurkil, Spain
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) [1]
Position Midfielder
Youth career
Real Sociedad
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1990–1991 Real Sociedad B 31 (0)
1991–1998 Real Sociedad 197 (7)
1998–2002 Athletic Bilbao 28 (1)
Total256(8)
International career
1992–1994 Spain U21 13 (0)
1992 Spain U23 1 (0)
1993 Spain 1 (0)
1993–1997 Basque Country 4 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1994 France
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Andoni Imaz Garmendia (born 5 September 1971) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Contents

He appeared in 225 La Liga matches over ten seasons, scoring eight goals for Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao. [2] After retiring, he worked with the latter club in directorial capacities.

Club career

Real Sociedad

Born in Zizurkil, Gipuzkoa, [3] Imaz was immediately thrust into hometown club Real Sociedad's starting XI in La Liga at the age of 20 after a single season in the Segunda División B with the reserves. [4] His debut in the competition took place on 8 September 1991, when he played the entire 0–0 home draw against Real Zaragoza. [5] He scored his first top-division goal on 10 November 1991, helping his team to a 2–2 draw away to Real Valladolid. [6]

Imaz acted as captain in the inaugural match at the Anoeta Stadium, a 2–2 friendly draw with Real Madrid on 13 August 1993. [7] [8] During his spell, he never appeared in less than 26 league games. [9]

Athletic Bilbao

In the summer of 1998, Imaz opted against renewing his contract and signed with Basque Country neighbours Athletic Bilbao. [10] He helped the Lions to reach the group phase of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League by netting in the 2–1 away loss against FC Dinamo Tbilisi (eventually qualifying via the away goals rule) [11] [12] then played five times in that stage of the tournament, which ended in elimination in last place. [13]

Having totalled 36 matches over his first two seasons, Imaz was rarely selected after the arrival of manager Txetxu Rojo, meeting the same fate under Jupp Heynckes and retiring at only 30 due to injury problems. [7]

International career

Imaz won one cap for Spain, [14] featuring the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 friendly against Mexico in Las Palmas. [15] He also represented the unofficial Basque Country regional team. [16]

Post-retirement

Imaz engaged in politics following his retirement, running as sports councillor for the Basque Nationalist Party in the town of Tolosa and being elected in 2003. He resigned at the end of a four-year term, claiming he had "had enough". [7]

In 2013, Imaz was appointed as Athletic Bilbao's match delegate, [17] being voted the league's best the following year. [18] [19] He left the position in 2019 to pursue other interests. [20]

Honours

Spain U21

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Imaz" (in Spanish). Aupa Athletic. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  2. ↑ "Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: jugadores en los dos bandos" [Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: players on both sides]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 9 May 2014. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. ↑ Velasco, Juanma (13 December 2014). "Aduriz: "Aún conservo los amigos de la ikastola"" [Aduriz: "I'm still friends with the guys from the ikastola"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  4. ↑ De la Cuesta Olaizola, Eneko (2007). "IMAZ GARMENDIA, Andoni" (in Spanish). Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  5. ↑ Sáez, Félix (9 September 1991). "El Zaragoza sabe por "viejo"" ["Old" Zaragoza know it all]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  6. ↑ Alvarado, Arturo (11 November 1991). "La Real regala un punto" [Real give point away]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 Domínguez, Koldo (2011). "Exfutbolista y exconcejal" [Former footballer and former councilman]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  8. ↑ Rodríguez Millán, Juan (13 August 2008). "Partidos Inolvidables: Real Sociedad 2 – Real Madrid 2 (93–94)" [Unforgettable Matches: Real Sociedad 2 – Real Madrid 2 (93–94)] (in Spanish). Corazón Txuri Urdin. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  9. ↑ "Andoni Imaz" (in Spanish). Historias de Cromos. 13 October 2014. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  10. ↑ "Los otros realistas que acabaron en el Athletic" [The other realistas who ended up at Athletic]. El Correo (in Spanish). 2 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  11. ↑ "El Nápoles, rival del Athletic" [Napoli, Athletic's rival]. Marca (in Spanish). 8 August 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  12. ↑ "Football: Metz foiled by Finns" . The Independent . 26 August 1998. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  13. ↑ "Las participaciones del Athletic en Copa de Europa y Champions" [Athletic's participations in European Cup and Champions League] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Oyarzabal, el más joven en la historia de la Real en debutar con España" [Oyarzabal, youngest in Real Sociedad's history to debut for Spain]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 30 May 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  15. ↑ Gascón, Javier (28 January 1993). "Más joven, pero igual de gris" [Younger, but just as grey]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  16. ↑ "Euskal Selekzioa 3–1 Yugoslavia" [Basque XI 3–1 Yugoslavia] (in Spanish). Basque Football Federation. 26 December 1997. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  17. ↑ "El exjugador Andoni Imaz será el nuevo delegado del Athletic" [Former player Andoni Imaz will be Athletic's new delegate]. ABC (in Spanish). 9 July 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  18. ↑ Romo, Asier (20 November 2014). "Andoni Imaz: El mejor delegado de la Liga" [Andoni Imaz: The League's best delegate]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  19. ↑ Rivas, Jon (11 May 2016). ""Gurpegui es el Athletic"" ["Gurpegui is Athletic"]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  20. ↑ "Imaz will no longer be the first team delegate". Athletic Bilbao. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  21. ↑ Aguilar, Francesc (16 April 1994). "España pierde la inocencia" [Spain lose innocence]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2017.
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