SD Eibar

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Eibar
Full nameSociedad Deportiva Eibar, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)Armagiñak / Los Armeros (The Gunsmiths)
Azulgranas (blue-and-carmines)[1]
Short nameEIB
Founded30 November 1940; 83 years ago (1940-11-30)
GroundEstadio Municipal de Ipurúa, Eibar
Capacity8,164[2]
PresidentAmaia Gorostiza[3]
Head coachJoseba Etxeberria
LeagueSegunda División
2022–23Segunda División, 5th of 22
WebsiteClub website
Current season
Ipurúa stadium
SD Eibar vs Valencia CF

Sociedad Deportiva Eibar (in Basque: Eibar Kirol Elkartea) is a professional Spanish football club based in Eibar, Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous Basque Country.

Founded on 30 November 1940, the team currently plays in the Segunda División, the second tier of Spanish football, having been relegated from La Liga at the end of the 2020–21 season. The club played in the top tier of Spanish football for seven consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2021, and participated in 26 Segunda División seasons (a spell in the 1950s, and most of the 1990s and 2000s), spending the rest of their history competing at lower levels.

The team plays in claret and blue shirts with blue shorts (originating from the kit of FC Barcelona)[4] and holds home games at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium. SD Eibar is a fan-owned club, with about 8,000 shareholders from 48 countries.[5] Until SD Huesca qualified for the top flight in 2018, the club was considered the smallest to have played in Spain's top division,[6][7] and its stadium had the lowest capacity of any La Liga teams.[8][9] Although Eibar is the sole professional club of its town, it contests several Basque derbies with other clubs from the region.[3]

Eibar is the only football club which has the quality certificate UNE-EN-ISO 9001.[10]

History[edit]

Establishment[edit]

Formed by the merger of Deportivo Gallo and Unión Deportiva Eibarresa, the club was originally known as Eibar Fútbol Club, before changing to Sociedad Deportiva Eibar. During the difficult postwar years, the team played sporadically, which caused Eibar to disappear from official competitions during the 1942–43 season.[11] Originally an irregular team, it was not until the 1943–44 season that it was reorganised into more of a full-time unit.[citation needed]

Tercera División[edit]

Promoted to Tercera División in 1950, Eibar achieved promotion to Segunda División three seasons later, being relegated again after a five-year stint and competing in division three for 25 of the following 28 years (in 1977 Tercera became the fourth level, after the creation of Segunda División B). In 1988, the side returned to the "silver category".[12] That season also included a historic moment when goalkeeper José Ignacio Garmendia scored a goal in a game against Pontevedra via a kickout from his own area.[13]

Promotion to Segunda División[edit]

After spending 18 years in a row in Segunda División, Eibar was relegated to the third division at the end of the 2005–06 campaign. However, it won its group the next season, thereby qualifying for the promotion play-offs where it won its semi-final tie against Hospitalet 2–0 and defeated Rayo Vallecano 2–1 on aggregate in the decisive round, sealing its return after just one year.[14] Eibar finished 21st in the 2008–09 season meaning they were relegated to the Segunda Division B.

Relegation to Segunda B (2009–13)[edit]

Eibar qualified for three straight promotion play-offs but could not get promoted to the Segunda División.

In the 2012–13 edition of the Copa del Rey, Eibar ousted Basque neighbours Athletic Bilbao – who had appeared in two of the last four finals in the tournament – on the away goals rule to reach the round-of-16 following a 1–1 draw at the San Mamés Stadium. The decisive goal was scored by Mikel Arruabarrena who played youth football with the opposition, as did manager Gaizka Garitano;[15] the same season the team managed to return to the "silver category", following a four-year absence.[16]

Segunda División and promotion to La Liga[edit]

In 2013–14 Eibar earned, for the first time in its history, one of two direct promotion berths to La Liga,[17] which was certified on 25 May 2014 with a 1–0 home win against Deportivo Alavés.[18] (they celebrated their feat with confetti originally produced by Barcelona, who wear the same colours and had anticipated winning the Spanish league title a week earlier, but that did not come to pass).[19] Simultaneously, however, the club was threatened with relegation back to division three due to the financial inability of the S.A.D. to have a share capital of at least €2,146,525.95 before 6 August 2014. The club launched a campaign named Defiende al Eibar (Defend Eibar) with the aim of reaching the required share capital through a seasoned equity offering.[20] On 15 July 2014 the club announced it had reached the established goal.[21][5]

Eibar finished its first top-flight season in 18th, ending in relegation. However, after the season ended, 13th-placed Elche were sent to the second tier as punishment for financial mismanagement, and Eibar were reinstated.[22]

Chart of SD Eibar league performance 1929-2023

On 18 July 2015, Eibar played its 75th-anniversary game against Celtic in Ipurua (1–4). This included an inaugural ceremony on the pitch with a parade of 19th-century-clothed Basque soldiers with a Saltire and bagpipes playing "Scotland the Brave", with officials from both clubs shooting a 350 kg 19th-century cannon. Eibar stated that they invited Celtic as their opponent for the game due to the strong connection between the Basque Country and Scotland, and also due to the Scottish presence in Eibar through the years (the main supporter group is named "Eskozia la Brava", meaning "Scotland the Brave").[23][24]

Under its new coach José Luis Mendilibar, Eibar finished its second top-flight season in 14th. Borja Bastón finished top ten in scoring and was named La Liga Player of the Month of October 2015, making him the first Armero to receive the award. In April 2017, Dani García became the first player to reach the milestone of 100 top division appearances for the club.[25]

The club's 10th place in 2016–17 was improved to 9th the following season, with the latter campaign marking the first time ever that Eibar had finished as the highest-ranking of the Basque teams.[3]

Deportivo de La Coruña vs. Eibar.

On 16 May 2021, Eibar was relegated after a defeat to Valencia. This ended their seven-year stay in the top tier. The following season in Segunda, Eibar was in the top two of the league for the majority of the season, however, the team had to eventually settle for third place. In the playoffs, Eibar lost to Girona, and failed to make an immediate return to La Liga.

Affiliated clubs[edit]

Vitoria[edit]

In 2015, the club signed a collaboration agreement with CD Vitoria (Tercera División) to act as an Eibar feeder team for emerging players.[26][1] Eibar had previously disbanded their own B team in 2012 to cut costs while the senior side languished in Segunda División B but decided to seek a new formal arrangement for a subsidiary club after retaining their place in La Liga.[27] Within two years of the partnership, Vitoria gained promotion to the third tier for the first time in their history;[28] they were relegated in 2018–19[29] and their home matches back in the Tercera División were then moved to Eibar.[30]

Eibar Urko[edit]

In summer 2016, the club expanded its club structure further by integrating local team Urkomendi (of the 6th level Preferente de Guipúzcoa)[31] into the organisation as a reserve team to act as a link between the youth level and Vitoria, to be known as Eibar Urko.[32][33]

Playing in the town's Unbe Sports Complex, Eibar Urko gained promotion to the provincial fifth level in 2018,[34][35] but were blocked from a further promotion after Vitoria were relegated to the same due to rules preventing teams owned by the same club competing in the same division.[29] This also meant Urko could not be promoted in the 2019–20 or 2020–21 seasons either, as Vitoria failed to achieve the same goal.[36][37][38]

Logroñés[edit]

Also in 2016, Eibar made a 3-year collaboration agreement with UD Logroñés, with Eibar players going on loan to the Segunda B club for experience with the aim of achieving promotion due to the additional talent in the squad.[39] Four players made the move that summer: goalkeeper Jon Ander, defender Amelibia, midfielder Sergio García and winger Thaylor.

Season to season[edit]

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1940–41 4 1ª Reg. 5th
1941–42 4 1ª Reg. 7th
1942–43 5 2ª Reg.
1943–44 5 2ª Reg.
1944–45 5 2ª Reg.
1945–46 4 1ª Reg. 9th
1946–47 5 2ª Reg. 1st
1947–48 4 1ª Reg. 5th
1948–49 4 1ª Reg. 2nd
1949–50 4 1ª Reg. 1st
1950–51 3 1st
1951–52 3 2nd
1952–53 3 1st
1953–54 2 7th
1954–55 2 8th
1955–56 2 14th
1956–57 2 10th
1957–58 2 17th
1958–59 3 2nd
1959–60 3 7th
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1960–61 3 3rd
1961–62 3 1st
1962–63 3 1st
1963–64 3 2nd
1964–65 3 2nd
1965–66 3 2nd
1966–67 3 1st
1967–68 3 2nd
1968–69 3 6th
1969–70 3 2nd
1970–71 3 7th First round
1971–72 3 4th Third round
1972–73 3 12th Second round
1973–74 3 2nd First round
1974–75 3 16th Third round
1975–76 3 19th First round
1976–77 4 Reg. Pref. 5th
1977–78 5 Reg. Pref. 3rd
1978–79 5 Reg. Pref. 1st
1979–80 4 4th First round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
1980–81 4 3rd Second round
1981–82 4 1st Second round
1982–83 4 2nd Third round
1983–84 4 2nd Third round
1984–85 4 2nd Second round
1985–86 4 1st Third round
1986–87 3 2ª B 7th Round of 16
1987–88 3 2ª B 1st Third round
1988–89 2 16th Second round
1989–90 2 16th First round
1990–91 2 10th Third round
1991–92 2 12th Fourth round
1992–93 2 16th Third round
1993–94 2 10th Fifth round
1994–95 2 5th Third round
1995–96 2 12th Second round
1996–97 2 5th Second round
1997–98 2 10th Second round
1998–99 2 18th First round
1999–2000 2 11th Second round
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2000–01 2 15th Round of 64
2001–02 2 8th Round of 64
2002–03 2 17th Round of 32
2003–04 2 10th Round of 16
2004–05 2 4th Round of 64
2005–06 2 22nd Fourth round
2006–07 3 2ª B 1st Third round
2007–08 2 13th Third round
2008–09 2 21st Second round
2009–10 3 2ª B 2nd First round
2010–11 3 2ª B 1st First round
2011–12 3 2ª B 3rd Third round
2012–13 3 2ª B 2nd Round of 16
2013–14 2 1st Third round
2014–15 1 18th* Round of 32
2015–16 1 14th Round of 16
2016–17 1 10th Quarterfinals
2017–18 1 9th Round of 32
2018–19 1 12th Round of 32
2019–20 1 14th Round of 32
Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey
2020–21 1 20th Round of 32
2021–22 2 3rd Round of 32
2022–23 2 5th Second round
2023–24 2 Round of 32

*Avoided relegation to the second tier after the 2014–15 season due to Elche's administrative relegation because of tax problems.[22]


Honours[edit]

2013–14[a]
1987–88,[a] 2006–07,[c] 2010–11[d]
1950–51,[e] 1952–53,[a] 1961–62,[f] 1962–63,[g] 1966–67[h]
1981–82,[j] 1985–86[k]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Promoted directly
  2. ^ a b Third tier
  3. ^ Promoted in play-offs
  4. ^ Not promoted in play-offs
  5. ^ Not promoted in play-offs
  6. ^ Not promoted in play-offs
  7. ^ Not promoted in play-offs
  8. ^ Not promoted in play-offs
  9. ^ Fourth tier
  10. ^ Not promoted in play-offs
  11. ^ Promoted in play-offs

Current squad[edit]

As of 1 February 2024[40]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK France FRA Luca Zidane
2 DF Spain ESP Cristian Gutiérrez
3 DF Portugal POR Frederico Venâncio
4 DF Spain ESP Rober Correa
5 DF Spain ESP Juan Berrocal
6 MF Spain ESP Sergio Álvarez
7 FW Spain ESP Quique González
8 MF Brazil BRA Matheus Pereira
9 FW Morocco MAR Yacine Qasmi
10 MF Spain ESP Ager Aketxe
11 FW Spain ESP Sergio León
13 GK Spain ESP Yoel Rodríguez
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF Spain ESP Unai Vencedor (on loan from Athletic Bilbao)
15 DF Spain ESP Álvaro Tejero
17 MF Spain ESP José Corpas
18 FW Spain ESP Jon Bautista
19 MF Spain ESP Stoichkov
21 DF Spain ESP José Ríos Reina
22 DF Czech Republic CZE Stefan Simić
23 DF Spain ESP Anaitz Arbilla (captain)
24 MF Spain ESP Peru Nolaskoain
27 FW United States USA Konrad de la Fuente (on loan from Marseille)
30 FW Spain ESP Mario Soriano (on loan from Deportivo La Coruña)

Reserve team[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
28 DF Spain ESP Iker Alday
29 MF Spain ESP Ander Madariaga
No. Pos. Nation Player
32 DF Spain ESP Aritz Muguruza
33 DF Spain ESP Hodei Arrillaga

Out on loan[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF Spain ESP Sergio Cubero (at Racing Ferrol until 30 June 2024)
MF Spain ESP Ángel Troncho (at Amorebieta until 30 June 2024)
MF Venezuela VEN Jorge Yriarte (at Amorebieta until 30 June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF France FRA Yanis Rahmani (at Tenerife until 30 June 2024)
FW Spain ESP Juan Carlos Arana (at Racing Santander until 30 June 2024)

Stadium[edit]

Eibar's home stadium is Estadio Municipal de Ipurua, which seats 8,164 spectators.

Famous players[edit]

Note: this list includes players that have appeared in at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.

Club officials[edit]

Current technical staff[edit]

Position Staff
Manager Spain Joseba Etxeberria
Assistant manager Spain Jorge Pérez
Goalkeeping coach Spain Jon Zabala
Fitness coach Spain Luis Prieto
Analyst Spain Andoni Azkargorta
Chief of medical services Spain Honorio Martínez
Doctor Spain Xabi Valencia
Physiotherapist Spain Joseba Perosanz
Spain Unai Ormazabal
Spain Manuel Sánchez
Rehab fitness coach Spain Mikel Calvo
Kit man Spain Juan Luis Garate
Spain Ibai Díez
Field delegate Spain Germán Andueza

Last updated: 8 November 2021
Source: SD Eibar (in Spanish)

Board of directors[edit]

Office Name
President Amaia Gorostiza[3]
Vice president Joseba Unamuno
Secretary Jon Ander Ulazia
Directors Virginia Arakistain
Leire Barriuso
J. A. Fernández
Javier Gurrutxaga
Agustín Lahidalga
Antón Martinena
Alex Martínez
Javier Sarrionandia

Last updated: 9 April 2019
Source: SD Eibar

Coaches[edit]

Presidents[edit]

1940–46 Juan Artamendi
1946–48 Bernardino Odriozola
1948–49 Crispin Garate
1949–57 Manolo Escodin
1957–58 Boni Guisasola
1958–59 Tomas Echaluce
1959–61 Manolo Zubia
1961–62 Pedro Irusta
1962–65 Luis María Fernández de Betoño
1965–67 Luis María Aranegui
1967–68 Roberto Cadenas
1968–74 José González Ortiz de Zárate
1974–77 Eusebio Oyarzun
1977–84 Paco Marquiegui
1984–88 Javier Arrieta
1988–2002  Juan Luis Mardaras
2002–09 Jaime Barriuso
2009–16 Alex Aranzábal
2016– Amaia Gorostiza[3]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "El CD Vitoria será el filial del Eibar" [CD Vitoria will be the subsidiary of Eibar] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  2. ^ "El Eibar inicia la próxima semana la reubicación de los abonados para la próxima temporada" (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 21 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e Matt Davis (29 November 2018). "Eibar: The female president & football philosophy behind Real Madrid conquerors". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ "La conexión histórica entre el Barça y el Eibar" [The historical connection between Barça and Eibar]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 17 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b Raphael Minder (23 July 2014). "A Tiny Club's Uneasy Rise". New York Times. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Meet the smallest team ever to play in elite European soccer". 18 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Eibar: La Liga's smallest club still punching above their weight". Sky Sports. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Eibar make la Liga's smallest stadium their fortress". The Indian Express. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  9. ^ Euan McTear, Eibar the Brave: The Extraordinary Rise of La Liga's Smallest Team.
  10. ^ El sistema de calidad de la S.D. Eibar va a ser auditado este fin de semana (S.D. Eibar's quality system will be audited this weekend); Diario Vasco, 22 May 2008 (in Spanish)
  11. ^ "La historia del Club: La fundación del club: los inicios en Regional y Tercera División" [Club History: Club foundation: initial years in Regional divisions and Tercera]. SD Eibar - Web Oficial (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  12. ^ "La historia del Club: El retorno a Segunda División B y el ascenso a la A" [Club History: The return to Segunda B and promotion to A]. SD Eibar - Web Oficial (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-11-20.
  13. ^ Su gol directo al Pontevedra aún lo recuerdan en Ipurua (His direct goal to Pontevedra is still remembered in Ipurua); El Diario Vasco, 5 April 2007 (in Spanish)
  14. ^ El Eibar regresa a Segunda tras remontar ante el Rayo Vallecano (Eibar returns to Segunda after coming back from behind against Rayo Vallecano); Diario AS, 24 June 2007 (in Spanish)
  15. ^ El pequeño se come al grande (Little fish eat big fish); Marca, 12 December 2012 (in Spanish)
  16. ^ El Eibar vuelve a Segunda cuatro años después (Eibar returns to Segunda four years later); Marca, 30 June 2013 (in Spanish)
  17. ^ El Eibar o la ternura del fútbol (Eibar or the tenderness of football); El País, 25 May 2014 (in Spanish)
  18. ^ Un golazo de Jota Peleteiro lleva al Eibar a Primera división (Jota Peleteiro wonder goal takes Eibar to first division); Marca, 25 May 2014 (in Spanish)
  19. ^ "El Eibar celebrará el ascenso con el confeti que el Barcelona no pudo utilizar ante el Atlético" [Eibar will celebrate the promotion with the confetti that Barcelona could not use against Atlético]. Marca (in Spanish). 29 May 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  20. ^ Aprobación de la Ampliación de Capital (Eibar's capital expansion is approved) sdeibar.com 8 April 2014 Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ La S.D. Eibar consigue con éxito la cantidad mínima para la Ampliación de Capital (SD Eibar successfully obtains the minimum amount required for the increase in share capital) Archived 2014-07-18 at the Wayback Machine sdeibar.com 15 July 2014
  22. ^ a b "Elche relegated from La Liga over unpaid taxes, Eibar promoted". Sky Sports. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  23. ^ "Ezkozia La Brava". Scotsman.com. 22 November 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Ezkozia La Brava". HeraldScotland.com. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  25. ^ "100 partidos de Dani García con el Eibar en Primera División" [100 games of Dani García with Eibar in First Division] (in Spanish). La Liga en Números. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  26. ^ "El CD Vitoria será filial de la SD Eibar" [CD Vitoria will be the affiliate of SD Eibar] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 9 June 2015. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  27. ^ "El Eibar podría tener un filial en Tercera a partir de la próxima temporada" [Eibar could have a subsidiary in Tercera from next season] (in Spanish). Diario Vasco. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  28. ^ "El CD Vitoria jugará en Olaranbe los partidos de Segunda B" [CD Vitoria will play its Segunda B matches at Olaranbe]. Gasteiz Hoy (in Spanish). 21 July 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  29. ^ a b "Fran Garagarza califica de "sobresaliente" la temporada del primer equipo" [Fran Garagarza describes the first team's season as "outstanding"] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
  30. ^ "El filial CD Vitoria jugará sus partidos como local en Eibar" [Vitoria moves to Unbe Sports Complex in Eibar] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 8 August 2019.
  31. ^ "Competiciones: Regional Preferente Grupo 2 2015/2016". Kirolak (in Spanish). 15 May 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  32. ^ "El SD Eibar refuerza el fútbol base con la compra del Urkomendi" [Eibar strengthens their academy by acquiring Urkomendi] (in Spanish). Palco23.com. 15 June 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  33. ^ "El Eibar se fusiona con el Urkomendi para que sea filial azulgrana" [Eibar merges with Urkomendi to be a maroon-and-blue branch]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 14 June 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  34. ^ "El Eibar consolida su estrategia con la base" [Eibar consolidates its strategy with the base]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 18 May 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  35. ^ "El Eibar presume de cantera" [Eibar boasts a quarry]. Marca (in Spanish). 15 June 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  36. ^ "Un ascenso que se resiste al Eibar Urko" [A promotion that evades Eibar Urko] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  37. ^ "0-0. El Sestao apea al Vitoria y se jugará el ascenso con el Portugalete" [0-0. Sestao stops Vitoria and promotion will be played with Portugalete] (in Spanish). Norte Expres. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  38. ^ "El Eibar Urko quiere remontar la derrota sufrida ante el Hernani" [Eibar Urko wants to overcome the defeat suffered against Hernani] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  39. ^ "El Eibar se alía con el Logroñés para llevar su marca a La Rioja" [Eibar links with Logroñés to leave its stamp on La Rioja)] (in Spanish). Palco23.com. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  40. ^ "Primer Equipo Squad". SD Eibar. Retrieved 5 October 2020.

External links[edit]