Gorka Elustondo

Last updated

Gorka Elustondo
Krasnodar-Real Sosiedad (7).jpg
Elustondo playing for Real Sociedad in 2014
Personal information
Full name Gorka Elustondo Urkola [1]
Date of birth (1987-03-18) 18 March 1987 (age 37) [1]
Place of birth Beasain, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) [1]
Position(s) Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Youth career
Aitzgorri
2004–2005 Real Sociedad
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2005–2007 Real Sociedad B 64 (6)
2006–2015 Real Sociedad 144 (7)
2015–2017 Athletic Bilbao 13 (1)
2017 Atlético Nacional 8 (0)
2018–2019 Rayo Vallecano 19 (0)
Total248(14)
International career
2006 Spain U19 6 (0)
2007 Spain U20 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gorka Elustondo Urkola (born 18 March 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender or a defensive midfielder.

Contents

He spent most of his career with Real Sociedad after making his debut in 2006, going on to appear in 167 competitive matches over six La Liga seasons (nine in total, eight goals).

Club career

Real Sociedad

Elustondo was born in Beasain, Gipuzkoa. A product of Real Sociedad's prolific youth ranks, he made his La Liga debut on 20 December 2006 in a 0–0 away draw against RC Celta de Vigo. [2] He made a further five first-team appearances in his first professional season, as the Basque club suffered top-tier relegation for the first time in 40 years.

In late October 2008, with Real in the Segunda División, in a home derby against Deportivo Alavés, Elustondo suffered a serious knee injury (which later relapsed), being rendered unavailable for the remainder of the campaign. [3] He contributed 30 matches – 26 starts – and one goal [4] in 2009–10, helping the Txuriurdin to return to the Spanish top flight after three years, as champions.

Athletic Bilbao

On 1 July 2015, after his contract with Real Sociedad expired, Elustondo signed a two-year deal with their neighbours, Athletic Bilbao. [5] He made his competitive debut on 30 July, playing the second half of a 0–0 draw at Inter Baku PIK in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. [6] His first league appearance occurred on 23 August, where he committed a penalty on Luis Suárez – later missed by Lionel Messi – in an eventual 0–1 home loss to FC Barcelona. [7] Four days later, in the Europa League playoff round against MŠK Žilina, he scored through a long-range effort in the 23rd minute for the game's only goal and an away goals rule qualification. [8] [9]

On 2 June 2017, Elustondo confirmed that he would leave the San Mamés Stadium at the end of his contract. [10]

Atlético Nacional and Rayo Vallecano

On 14 July 2017, Elustondo joined Colombia Categoría Primera A club Altético Nacional. [11] On 17 January 2018, after a brief spell in Colombia with Atlético Nacional, the 30-year-old Elustondo returned to Spain after agreeing to an 18-month deal at Rayo Vallecano. [12]

International career

Elustondo was part of the Spain under-19 squad that won the 2006 UEFA European Championship in Poland. [13]

Honours

Real Sociedad

Athletic Bilbao

Rayo Vallecano

Spain U19

Related Research Articles

The 2001–02 La Liga season was the 71st since its establishment. It began on 25 August 2001, and concluded on 11 May 2002.

The 1999–2000 La Liga season, the 69th since its establishment. It began on 21 August 1999, and concluded on 20 May 2000. Deportivo La Coruña won a first La Liga title with 69 points, the lowest for a champion since the three points for a win rule was introduced in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Txetxu Rojo</span> Spanish footballer and coach (1947–2022)

José Francisco 'Txetxu' Rojo Arroitia, also known as Rojo I, was a Spanish football player and manager.

Celta de Vigo participated in La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup. Finishing just shy of the UEFA Champions League positions, Celta failed to repeat their cup runs of previous seasons, dropping out of both Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup in the second rounds.

The 2013–14 season was Real Sociedad's 67th season in La Liga. Real Sociedad finished 7th in the league and reached the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. The Basque failed to make it out of the group stages of the UEFA Champions League.

The 2014–15 Copa del Rey was the 113th staging of the Copa del Rey. The winners assure a place for the group stage of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.

Unai López Cabrera is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano as a defensive midfielder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aritz Elustondo</span> Spanish footballer (born 1994)

Aritz Elustondo Irribarria is a Spanish professional footballer who plays mainly as a right-back but also as a central defender for La Liga club Real Sociedad.

The 2015–16 Copa del Rey was the 114th staging of the Copa del Rey. Going into the tournament, the winners were assured a place for the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League Group stage. However, since the two finalists, Barcelona and Sevilla, both qualified for the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, respectively by winning the 2015–16 La Liga title and the 2015–16 Europa League, the cup winner's place in the 2016–17 Europa League group stage instead passed to the fifth-place team in La Liga, Athletic Bilbao.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Bautista</span> Spanish footballer (born 1995)

Jon Bautista Orgilles is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for SD Eibar.

The 2016–17 Copa del Rey was the 115th staging of the Copa del Rey.

The 1989–90 season was FC Barcelona's 91st season in existence and the club's 59th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football.

The 2018–19 La Liga season, also known as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, was the 88th since its establishment. The season began on 17 August 2018 and concluded on 19 May 2019. Fixtures for the 2018–19 season were announced on 24 July 2018. This was the first La Liga season to use the VAR.

The 2018–19 Real Sociedad season was the club's 72nd season in La Liga. This article shows player statistics and all matches played by the club during the 2018–19 season.

In the 1993–94 football season, Valencia CF failed to qualify for European competition as it ended 7th in La Liga and wasn't able to reach the quarterfinals in neither the Copa del Rey nor the UEFA Cup. The campaign was marked by the latter's 7–0 exit in Karlsruhe, the worst loss suffered by a Spanish team in European competition, and included the resignation of chairman Arturo Tuzón and the sacking of manager Guus Hiddink. However, Hiddink was eventually reinstated before the season was over after his own successor, Héctor Núñez, was also fired.

The 2022–23 season was the 124th season in the history of Athletic Bilbao and their 92nd consecutive season in the top flight. The club participated in La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

The 2022–23 season was the 99th season in the history of Rayo Vallecano and their second consecutive season in the top flight. In addition to the league, the club participated in the Copa del Rey, losing in the round of 32 to second division side Sporting Gijón.

The 1993–94 season was the 59th season in existence for Real Zaragoza competed in La Liga for 16th consecutive year and Copa del Rey.

The 1995–96 season was the 61st season in existence for Real Zaragoza. The club competed in La Liga for 18th consecutive year, Copa del Rey and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

The 1996–97 season was the 62nd season for Real Zaragoza in its history. The club competed in La Liga and Copa del Rey.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 5 July 2007. p. 21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  2. Balaídos sigue estando maldito para el Celta (Balaídos still cursed for Celta); El Mundo, 20 December 2006 (in Spanish)
  3. Una vuelta sin Elustondo (Half a season without Elustondo) Archived 2009-02-28 at the Wayback Machine ; Mundo Deportivo, 26 February 2009 (in Spanish)
  4. La Real Sociedad se da un festín en Anoeta y golea a un débil Cádiz (Real Sociedad have a ball at Anoeta and rout weak Cádiz); El Mundo, 10 January 2010 (in Spanish)
  5. Fichaje de Gorka Elustondo (Signing of Gorka Elustondo) Archived 2018-07-25 at the Wayback Machine ; Athletic Bilbao, 1 July 2015 (in Spanish)
  6. "Eraso arranca con el pie derecho en Bilbao" [Eraso starts with the right foot in Bilbao] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  7. "Ath Bilbao 0–1 Barcelona". BBC Sport. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  8. "Athletic Clubek 1 MSK Zilinak 0" [Athletic Club 1 MSK Zilina 0] (in Basque). Athletic Bilbao. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  9. "Elustondo: "Nunca he sido anti Athletic"" [Elustondo: "I've never been anti-Athletic"] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  10. "Gorka Elustondo no seguirá en el Athletic" [Gorka Elustondo will not continue in Athletic] (in Spanish). EITB. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  11. "Gorka Elustondo ficha por el Atlético Nacional de Juan Manuel Lillo". Marca.com (in Spanish). 14 July 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  12. "Gorka Elustondo nuevo jugador del Rayo Vallecano" [Gorka Elustondo new player of Rayo Vallecano] (in Spanish). Rayo Vallecano. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Aquella Rojita que arrasó en Polonia" [That Little Red One who crushed in Poland] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2020.