Asier Riesgo

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Riesgoand the second or maternal family name is Unamuno.

Asier Riesgo

Riesgo with Eibar in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Asier Riesgo Unamuno [1]
Date of birth	(1983-10-06) 6 October 1983 (age 40) [1]
Place of birth	Deba, Spain
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) [1]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Amaikak Bat
	Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2002	Real Sociedad B	16	(0)
2002–2010	Real Sociedad	127	(0)
2002–2004	→ Eibar (loan)	57	(0)
2008–2009	→ Recreativo (loan)	38	(0)
2010–2015	Osasuna	26	(0)
2015–2019	Eibar	65	(0)
2019–2020	Girona	21	(0)
2020–2023	Leganés	65	(0)
Total		415	(0)
International career
2001	Spain U17	2	(0)
2001–2002	Spain U19	2	(0)
2003	Spain U20	10	(0)
2004–2005	Spain U21	9	(0)
2003–2018	Basque Country	11	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Asier Riesgo Unamuno (born 6 October 1983) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

In a 22-year senior career, he appeared in 185 La Liga games over 11 seasons, for Real Sociedad, Recreativo, Osasuna and Eibar. He added 214 appearances in the Segunda División, where he represented all the clubs but the second.

Riesgo was a youth international for Spain.

Club career

Born in Deba, Gipuzkoa, ^[2] and a product of Real Sociedad's youth academy, Riesgo made his professional debut with neighbouring SD Eibar in the Segunda División, where he would play for one and a half seasons. In March 2004, he was recalled from his loan due to an injury to first-choice Sander Westerveld. ^[3]

After Westerveld was waived in the summer, Riesgo became a starter for the Basques, making his La Liga debut on 29 August 2004 in a 1–1 home draw against Levante UD. ^[4] From the 2006–07 campaign onwards he battled with newly signed Claudio Bravo for starting duties; with the Chilean as the first choice, Real were relegated.

In 2007–08, however, Riesgo played all 42 league matches, ^[5] although the team did not achieve a top-flight return. In August 2008 he was loaned to Recreativo de Huelva for €350.000, with the club having the option to make the move permanent afterwards for €4.3 million and not having to pay the player's wages. ^[6]

An undisputed starter throughout the season, Riesgo stopped two penalty kicks on 4 January 2009, helping league strugglers Recre to beat CD Numancia 3–1 at home. ^[7] On 11 April he became the first to ever deny Lionel Messi a penalty, clawing the Argentine's effort out of the air as he saw his side bow down to a 2–0 defeat at FC Barcelona; ^[8] the Andalusians eventually dropped down a level, with him appearing in all 38 fixtures.

Riesgo served a trial at Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in December 2009 as potential cover for injured Carlo Cudicini, lost for the campaign after a motorcycle accident. ^[9] Upon his return, he found himself third choice at Real Sociedad behind Bravo and Eñaut Zubikarai, totalling only 630 minutes of play as they returned to the top tier after three years. ^{[10] [11]}

On 18 June 2010, Riesgo – whose contract with Real Sociedad had expired – signed for Navarrese neighbours CA Osasuna for three years. ^[12] He acted solely as backup during his tenure with the club, first to Ricardo then Andrés Fernández. ^[13]

Riesgo returned to Eibar in the 2015 off-season after agreeing to a one-year deal, as the team was now in the top flight. ^[14] On 2 September 2019, he joined second-division Girona FC for one year as a replacement for Sevilla FC-bound Bono. ^[15]

On 8 September 2020, Riesgo signed a one-year contract with CD Leganés, recently relegated to division two. ^[16] On 8 July 2023, he retired from professional football at the age of 39. ^[17]

International career

Riesgo won the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship with Spain, as backup to Miguel Ángel Moyá. ^[18] We was a starter, however, for the under-20s as they finished second at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, with Moyá now as second-choice. ^[19]

On 17 February 2004, Riesgo earned his first cap at under-21 level, in a 2–1 friendly win over Norway. ^[20]

Honours

Real Sociedad

• Segunda División: 2009–10 ^[21]

Spain U19

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2002 ^[22]

Spain U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 2003 ^[19]

References

1. "Riesgo". Diario AS . Retrieved 12 November 2022.
2. Mateos, Carlos (14 January 2023). "Riesgo: "Hay una alta probabilidad de que esta sea mi última temporada"" [Riesgo: "This will be my last season in all likelihood"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
3. "La Real Sociedad repesca a Riesgo tras la lesión de Westerveld" [Real Sociedad retrieve Riesgo after Westerveld's injury]. Diario de León (in Spanish). 16 March 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
4. Isasa, Xabier (30 August 2004). "Una Real incompleta" [Incomplete Real]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 March 2014.
5. Badallo, Óscar (28 September 2007). "Riesgo se pone 'Bravo'" [Riesgo gets all 'Brave' ("Bravo" in English)]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
6. Becerril, Fernando (4 August 2008). "Badiola cierra la cesión de Riesgo a espaldas de los administradores" [Badiola closes Riesgo loan deal without the board of directors' knowledge]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 January 2009.
7. "Recreativo Huelva 3–1 Numancia". ESPN Soccernet. 4 January 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
8. "Barça edging closer to Liga glory". UEFA. 11 April 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
9. "Tottenham give trial to Spanish goalkeeper Asier Riesgo". BBC Sport. 6 December 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
10. Ramajo, Roberto (1 April 2010). "Riesgo o Zubikarai: debate abierto para la portería" [Riesgo or Zubikarai: open debate in goal]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 February 2014.
11. Badallo, Óscar (14 April 2010). "Riesgo volverá a defender la portería txuri urdin tras la lesión de Bravo y la sanción a Zubikarai" [Riesgo will return to txuri urdin goal after Bravo injury and Zubikarai suspension]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 February 2014.
12. "Osasuna presentará el lunes a Asier Riesgo" [Osasuna to present Asier Riesgo on Monday] (in Spanish). CA Osasuna. 18 June 2010. Archived from the original on 19 June 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
13. Iborra, J. (7 June 2015). "Riesgo sube a los altares rojillos con un paradón en el minuto 89" [Riesgo reaches red altars with wonder save in 89th minute]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 January 2019.
14. "SD Eibar ficha a Asier Riesgo por una temporada" [SD Eibar sign Asier Riesgo for one season] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 31 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
15. "Asier Riesgo, experiència per a la porteria del Girona FC" [Asier Riesgo, experience for Girona FC's goal] (in Catalan). Girona FC. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
16. "El C.D. Leganés refuerza su portería con la experiencia de Asier Riesgo" [C.D. Leganés bolster their goal with the experience of Asier Riesgo] (in Spanish). CD Leganés. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
17. Badallo, Óscar (8 July 2023). "Asier Riesgo cuelga los guantes" [Asier Riesgo hangs up his gloves]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2023.
18. Recalde, Mikel (29 July 2002). "Una celebración sin discoteca ni alcohol" [Celebrations without clubbing or drinking]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
19. Díez, Óscar (1 April 2015). "España en los mundiales sub'20: Emiratos Árabes Unidos 2003" [Spain at the under'20 World Cups: United Arab Emirates 2003] (in Spanish). Cuadernos de Fútbol. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
20. "La nueva generación sub'21 se estrena con triunfo" [New under'21 generation has winning debut]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 17 February 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
21. García, Gregorio (13 June 2010). "El cielo de Primera vuelve a abrirse para la Real Sociedad" [Primera heaven reopens for Real Sociedad]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
22. "España vence a Alemania y se proclama campeona de Europa Sub-19" [Spain beat Germany and are crowned Under-19 European champions]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 28 July 2002. Retrieved 26 April 2019.

External links

• Asier Riesgo at BDFutbol
• Asier Riesgo at Futbolme (in Spanish)
• Asier Riesgo – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Asier Riesgo at Soccerway