Iban Zubiaurre

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Zubiaurreand the second or maternal family name is Urrutia.

Iban Zubiaurre

Personal information
Full name	Iban Zubiaurre Urrutia
Date of birth	(1983-01-22) 22 January 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Mendaro, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Youth career
	Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2005	Real Sociedad B	53	(2)
2004–2005	Real Sociedad	14	(0)
2006–2013	Athletic Bilbao	2	(0)
2008–2009	→ Elche (loan)	23	(1)
2010–2011	→ Albacete (loan)	10	(0)
2012–2013	→ Salamanca (loan)	33	(3)
2013	Racing Santander	0	(0)
Total		135	(6)
International career
1999–2000	Spain U16	8	(0)
2001	Spain U17	3	(0)
2001	Spain U18	5	(0)
2002	Spain U19	5	(0)
2005	Spain U21	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Iban Zubiaurre Urrutia (born 22 January 1983) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a right-back.

Club career

Zubiaurre was born in Mendaro, Gipuzkoa. After making his Real Sociedad first-team debut during the 2004–05 season, he achieved notoriety as a result of a lawsuit in which his first club prevented him from playing for Athletic Bilbao for 14 months, due to an alleged contractual dispute in his transfer between the two Basque sides. ^[1]

Zubiaurre, who represented Real Sociedad at the youth level, was introduced as a new Athletic Bilbao player in 2005 by the latter's president Fernando Lamikiz, though he remained under contract. ^[2] He was without the legal ability to terminate his contract, which had a year left to run and a buy-out clause of €33 million (the former club had activated a one-season optional extension to his contract, while the latter asserted that he was a free agent). ^[3] Real insisted that Athletic pay the entire amount, with the player not being allowed to play professional football during the subsequent legal battle; SCD Durango, a regional club, requested to field him but were denied permission. ^[4]

Fifteen months after the lawsuit began, a judge ruled that Athletic had to pay Real Sociedad €5 million, ^[5] and were granted permission to field Zubiaurre for the 2006–07 campaign. He was presented a second time at San Mamés Stadium on 16 November 2006 and was given the number 12 shirt. ^[6]

On 11 February 2007, Zubiaurre played his first La Liga match for Athletic, appearing against Atlético Madrid as a substitute in a 1–0 away defeat. ^[7] That was his only game of the season, in which his team avoided relegation on the last matchday.

Zubiaurre also only featured once in 2007–08, in a 2–0 loss at Getafe CF on 31 October 2007. ^[8] After almost two years on the sidelines, he left in order to gain more playing time, joining Segunda División side Elche CF on a season-long loan. ^[9]

Returning to Athletic for the 2009–10 campaign, Zubiaurre's season input consisted of 15 minutes against FK Austria Wien (3–0 win at home) in the UEFA Europa League group stage. ^[10] In July 2010, another loan ensued, also in the second tier, as he signed with Albacete Balompié. ^[11]

Zubiaurre was not included in the squad for the 2011–12 season by new manager Marcelo Bielsa, alongside teammates Koikili and Aitor Ocio. He remained with the team, however. ^[12]

Zubiaurre was loaned to UD Salamanca in the Segunda División B for the 2012–13 season. He moved to Racing de Santander in August 2013, being waived after only one month and no matches played. ^[13]

Honours

Spain U19

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2002 ^[14]

References

1. "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.
2. "Zubiaurre gets Athletic chance". UEFA. 1 July 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
3. Calvo, R.; Sánchez, R. (2 July 2005). "El Athletic presentó ayer a Zubiaurre y la Real estalla" [Athletic presented Zubiaurre yesterday and Real explode]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 June 2018.
4. Herrán, Alfonso (6 August 2013). "Iban Zubiaurre pone fin a su calvario de nueve años" [Iban Zubiaurre ends his nine-year ordeal]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 September 2018.
5. "El Athletic tendrá que pagar cinco millones a la Real por Zubiaurre" [Athletic to pay Real Sociedad €5 million for Zubiaurre]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 4 June 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
6. "Zubiaurre earns Athletic all-clear". UEFA. 14 November 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
7. "Atlético Madrid 1–0 Athletic Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 11 February 2007. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
8. "Getafe 2–0 Athletic Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 31 October 2007. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
9. "Zubiaurre: "Es una alegría enorme jugar en el Elche"" [Zubiaurre: "I am thrilled to play in Elche"] (in Spanish). Elche CF. 12 August 2008. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 14 September 2008.
10. "Irrepressible Athletic show their class". UEFA. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
11. García, Alberto (30 May 2011). "La cesión de Zubiaurre al Albacete solo se traduce en diez partidos" [Zubiaurre loan to Albacete equals only ten matches]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 September 2018.
12. San Cristóbal, Ainara (14 July 2011). "Koi, entre los ocho leones descartados por el argentino" [Koi, amongst the eight lions deemed surplus to requirements by the Argentine]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 November 2011.
13. "Zubiaurre, un jugador maldito" [Zubiurre, a damned footballer]. ABC (in Spanish). 6 September 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
14. "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 6 September 2018.

External links

• Iban Zubiaurre at Athletic Bilbao
• Iban Zubiaurre at BDFutbol
• Iban Zubiaurre at Soccerway