Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | David Villabona Echalecu | ||
Date of birth | 5 December 1969 | ||
Place of birth | Irun, Spain | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
Real Sociedad | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1986–1989 | Real Sociedad B | 30 | (3) |
1987–1990 | Real Sociedad | 42 | (1) |
1990–1993 | Athletic Bilbao | 59 | (1) |
1993–2001 | Racing Santander | 120 | (11) |
Total | 251 | (16) | |
International career | |||
1987 | Spain U17 | 1 | (0) |
1986–1988 | Spain U18 | 10 | (1) |
1988–1989 | Spain U19 | 3 | (0) |
1989–1990 | Spain U20 | 5 | (1) |
1990–1991 | Spain U21 | 5 | (0) |
1991–1992 | Spain U23 | 5 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Olympic medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Representing Spain | ||
Men's Football | ||
1992 Barcelona | Team Competition |
David Villabona Echalecu (born 5 December 1969) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mostly as a central midfielder.
He represented both Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao in his professional career, amassing La Liga totals of 221 matches and 13 goals over 15 seasons.
Villabona was a member of the Spain side that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. [1]
Villabona was born in Irun, Gipuzkoa. In a career blighted by injuries, he started playing professionally with Real Sociedad, but only made seven La Liga appearances in his first three seasons, being an undisputed starter in 1989–90 as he helped the Basques to a final fifth place.
Subsequently, Villabona joined neighbours Athletic Bilbao, [2] being regularly used at the beginning but very little in his final campaign, 1992–93, facing stiff competition from Josu Urrutia and youngster Julen Guerrero. His most steady period was lived at Racing de Santander, being a very important midfield element for the Cantabrians; due to recurrent injuries, however, he only totalled 12 games from 1997 to 2001 (none in the latter season as they finished second-bottom), and retired at the age of 31. [3] [4] [5]
Spain U23
Julen Guerrero López is a Spanish former professional footballer who played solely for Athletic Bilbao as an attacking midfielder. He is a current manager.
Francisco Miguel Narváez Machón, known as Kiko, is a Spanish former professional footballer who spent most of his career with Atlético Madrid.
Anoeta Stadium, currently known as the Reale Arena for sponsorship purposes, is a football stadium in San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain that was inaugurated in 1993.
Albert "Chapi" Ferrer Llopis is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right-back, and was also a manager.
José Vicente Fernández Biurrun is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Igor Gabilondo del Campo is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a left midfielder.
Rafael Berges Martín is a Spanish former footballer who played as a left-back, currently a manager.
Mikel Lasa Goikoetxea is a Spanish football manager and former player who played as a left-back.
Vicente Miera Campos is a Spanish retired football player and manager.
Antonio Pinilla Miranda is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played mainly as a forward.
Juan Manuel "Juanma" Lillo Díez is a Spanish football manager, currently assistant coach at Premier League club Manchester City.
Bittor Alkiza Fernández is a Spanish former professional footballer who played for both Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao as a midfielder.
The Basque derby is the name of the football local derby between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao. It embodies the inter-city rivalry between Bilbao and Donostia-San Sebastián, respectively the capitals of the neighbouring provinces of Biscay (Bizkaia) and Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country region of Spain. It is also occasionally referred to as the AP-8 derby, referring to the name of the highway which connects the cities.
José Félix Guerrero López is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a central midfielder.
Iñigo Martínez Berridi is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team.
Imanol Alguacil Barrenetxea, known simply as Imanol as a player, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right-back, currently manager of Real Sociedad.
The term Basque derbies refers to the various local derbies between the football teams based in the Basque Country, Spain. This can also include the province of Navarre outside of the autonomous community. It specifically refers to individual matches between the teams, but can also be used to describe the general ongoing rivalry between the clubs and fans.
Brais Méndez Portela is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Sociedad and the Spain national team.
El Viejo Clásico, also known as El Otro Clásico is the name given to any football match between Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. Until 10 December 2011, this fixture was the most played in the history of Spanish football, when it was surpassed by El Clásico. However, it remains the most played game in the Copa del Rey – although only five of the 56 matches took place in the 21st century.
The Athletic–Barcelona clásico refers to football matches between Athletic Bilbao and FC Barcelona, two clubs competing in Spanish football competitions.