Gaizka Larrazabal

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Gaizka Larrazabal
Personal information
Full name Gaizka Larrazabal Goikoetxea
Date of birth (1997-12-17) 17 December 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Wing-back, winger
Team information
Current team
Casa Pia
Number 72
Youth career
  Lauro Ikastola
2015–2016 Danok Bat
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Zamudio 29 (3)
2017–2019  Bilbao Athletic 63 (11)
2019–2020  Athletic Bilbao 10 (0)
2020–2023  Zaragoza 51 (0)
2021–2022Amorebieta (loan) 38 (3)
2023– Casa Pia 0 (0)
International career
2019 Basque Country 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 August 2019

Gaizka Larrazabal Goikoetxea (born 17 December 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right wing-back or right winger for Primeira Liga club Casa Pia.

Club career[edit]

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Basque Country, Larrazabal started his career with Lauro Ikastola CF, the team affiliated to his school in the town of Loiu. In 2015, he had a successful trial with Bilbao-based youth club Danok Bat CF;[1] it took until the latter part of his season there to establish himself in the team in the 'Juvenil' league, but by its end he had drawn interest from senior clubs.[1]

On 3 June 2016, after finishing his formation, Larrazabal signed for newly promoted Segunda División B side Zamudio SD.[2] He made his senior debut on 27 August 2016, playing the entire second half in a 1–3 home loss to Bilbao Athletic,[3] and scored his first goal on 10 December by netting the last in a 3–1 home defeat of CD Toledo. He finished the campaign with three goals in 29 appearances, although Zamudio finished bottom of the table and were relegated.

On 5 April 2017, Larrazabal agreed to a two-year contract with Athletic Bilbao, effective as of 1 July;[4] upon arriving, he was assigned to the B-team. He spent two seasons with Bilbao Athletic in the third tier, playing regularly for the team and scoring nine goals in 2018–19.[5]

On 14 May 2019, Larrazabal agreed to a new two-year deal with the Lions, being definitely promoted to the main squad.[6] He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 24 August, coming on as a substitute for Óscar de Marcos in a 1–1 draw away to Getafe CF.[7]

On 2 October 2020, Larrazabal terminated his contract with the Lions,[8] and agreed to a three-year deal with Segunda División side Real Zaragoza just hours later;[9] Athletic also retained a two-year buyback clause. On 24 August of the following year, he moved to fellow second division side SD Amorebieta on loan for the season.[10]

While on loan at Amorebieta, Larrazabal was converted into a right wing-back, being an undisputed starter for the side.[11]

On 3 July 2023, Primeira Liga side Casa Pia announced the free signing of Larrazabal.[12]

International career[edit]

Larrazabal made his debut for the unofficial Basque Country national team in May 2019, in a 0–0 draw away to Panama for which a small, youthful and inexperienced squad was selected.[13][14]

Personal life[edit]

Larrazabal's father is Aitor Larrazábal, who made over 400 appearances for Athletic Bilbao as a defender between 1990 and 2004 and later became a manager,[4][6] and whose goal celebrations included producing a pacifier from his shorts to represent his baby sons.[5][15] They met as opponents when Gaizka was playing for Zamudio and Aitor in charge of SD Amorebieta,[4] and again when Bilbao Athletic faced Barakaldo CF.

In 2002,[16] Aitor lined up in the same Athletic Bilbao team as Aritz Aduriz, who was also on the field for Gaizka's debut for the club nearly 17 years later.[5][7] The Larrazabals were the first father and son to play for Athletic since goalkeepers Carmelo and Andoni Cedrún,[6][15] and the first to both feature for the Basque Country team since 'Periko' and Xabi Alonso.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "El Athletic negocia con Gaizka Larrazabal para su renovación" [Athletic negotiates with Gaizka Larrazabal for his renewal]. El Correo (in Spanish). 10 April 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  2. ^ "El Zamudio sigue con su apuesta por juveniles de calidad" [Zamudio keep with their bet on quality youngsters] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Dos de dos para el Bilbao Athletic" [Two out of two for Bilbao Athletic] (in Spanish). La Cantera de Lezama. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "El Athletic se hace con los servicios de Gaizka Larrazabal" [Athletic get the services of Gaizka Larrazabal] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Larrazabal convence a Garitano a base de sacrificio" [Larrazabal convinces Garitano on the basis of sacrifice]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 23 July 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Gaizka Larrazabal will become part of the first team". Athletic Bilbao. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Empate justo entre Getafe y Athletic" [Fair draw between Getafe and Athletic]. El País (in Spanish). 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Gaizka Larrazabal released from contract". Athletic Bilbao. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  9. ^ "El Real Zaragoza cierra la incorporación de Gaizka Larrazabal" [Real Zaragoza sign Gaizka Larrazabal] (in Spanish). Real Zaragoza. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Acuerdo para la cesión de Gaizka Larrazabal al Amorebieta" [Agreement for the loan of Gaizka Larrazabal to Amorebieta] (in Spanish). SD Amorebieta. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Larra, el cachorro reconvertido en carrilero de élite en Lezama" [Larra, the puppy reconverted into a top tier wing-back in Lezama]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 5 November 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Extremo espanhol Gaizka Larrazabal chega ao Casa Pia oriundo do Real Zaragoza" [Spanish winger Gaizka Larrazabal arrives at Casa Pia from Real Zaragoza]. Observador (in European Portuguese). 3 July 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Empate sin goles de la Euskal Selekzioa ante Panamá" [Basque Selection goalless draw against Panama]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 30 May 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Empate entre la Euskal Selekzioa y Panamá (0-0)" [Draw between Basque Selection and Panama (0-0)]. EITB (in Spanish). 30 May 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  15. ^ a b ""Gaizka tiene que ser Gaizka y no el hijo de Aitor Larrazabal"" [Gaizka has to be Gaizka and not the son of Aitor Larrazabal]. Deia (in Spanish). 24 May 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Amurrio 1 - 2 Athletic Club". Athletic Bilbao. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 25 August 2019.

External links[edit]