Kepa Arrizabalaga

Kepa Arrizabalaga
Arrizabalaga with Spain U19 in 2012
Personal information
Full name Kepa Arrizabalaga Revuelta[1]
Date of birth (1994-10-03) 3 October 1994[2]
Place of birth Ondarroa, Spain
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Chelsea
Number 1
Youth career
2004–2012 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Basconia 31 (0)
2012–2016 Bilbao Athletic 50 (0)
2015 → Ponferradina (loan) 20 (0)
2015–2016 → Valladolid (loan) 39 (0)
2016–2018 Athletic Bilbao 53 (0)
2018– Chelsea 8 (0)
National team‡
2012 Spain U18 2 (0)
2012 Spain U19 6 (0)
2013–2017 Spain U21 22 (0)
2017– Spain 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:49, 8 October 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2018

Kepa Arrizabalaga Revuelta (Basque: [kepa aris̻aβalaɣa reβuelta]; Spanish: [ˈkepa ariθaβaˈlaɣa reˈβwelta]; born 3 October 1994), sometimes known simply as Kepa,[4] is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Chelsea and the Spain national team.

Developed at Athletic Bilbao, he played his first professional games on loan at Ponferradina and Real Valladolid, in Segunda División. He then returned to his first club, going on to appear in 54 matches across all competitions; in 2018, he signed with Chelsea.

Arrizabalaga won the 2012 European Championship with Spain's under-19 team and made his senior debut in 2017, being selected for the 2018 World Cup.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Ondarroa, Biscay, Basque Country, Arrizabalaga joined Athletic Bilbao's youth setup at Lezama in 2004, aged ten. He made his senior debut with the farm team in January 2012, in Tercera División.

On 5 May 2012, Arrizabalaga was called up to the main squad for a La Liga match against Getafe CF,[5] but remained unused in the 0–0 draw at the San Mamés Stadium.[6] He was also called up to pre-season in July, and on 23 September was also a substitute in another home game of the same outcome, against Málaga CF.[7]

Arrizabalaga was promoted to the reserves in January 2013, to cover for injured Jon Ander Serantes.[8] He made his debut for the B-side on 16 February 2013, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win over UD Logroñés for the Segunda División B championship.[9] On 3 March, he was sent off towards the end of a 3–1 home win over SD Amorebieta, as was teammate Jon García;[10] in April he suffered a pubalgia, only returning to the fields in September.[11]

Arrizabalaga appeared regularly for the B's after his return, but broke the first metacarpal of his right hand in January 2014,[12] being sidelined for a month. On 11 March, Getafe submitted a loan request to the Lions for him, as a replacement to injured Miguel Ángel Moyà,[13] but it was rejected a day later.[14]

On 5 January 2015, Arrizabalaga was loaned to Segunda División's SD Ponferradina until June.[15] He made his professional debut on the 11th, starting in a 1–1 home draw against Racing de Santander.[16]

On 20 July 2015, Arrizabalaga moved to Real Valladolid also in the second tier, in a season-long loan deal.[17] He played his first competitive game on 22 August, in a 0–1 loss at Córdoba CF,[18] and missed only three matches as his team finished 16th.

After returning from loan, Arrizabalaga was definitely included in the first team, initially as third-choice behind Gorka Iraizoz and Iago Herrerín. He made his debut in the top flight on 11 September 2016, starting in a 1–0 away win over Deportivo de La Coruña.[19]

On 22 January 2018, amid heavy transfer speculation linking him to Real Madrid, Arrizabalaga renewed his contract – due to expire that June – until 2025.[20]

Chelsea

Arrizabalaga during his Chelsea debut, against Huddersfield Town in 2018

On 8 August 2018, Athletic Bilbao announced on their website that Arrizabalaga had paid his required release clause (€80 million / £71.6 million),[21] making him the world's most expensive goalkeeper only weeks after the record was set by Alisson's transfer to Liverpool.[22] Later that day, Arrizabalaga's move to Chelsea on a seven-year contract was confirmed,[23] and he made his Premier League debut three days later in a 3–0 away win against Huddersfield Town.[24]

International career

After appearing for the under-18s, Arrizabalaga was called up to the under-19 team for that year's UEFA European Championship. He was an undisputed starter during the tournament, as his side were crowned champions;[25] highlights included a 3–3 semi-final success against France, where he saved two penalties in the shootout.[26]

Arrizabalaga missed the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup due to injury, being replaced in the tournament squad by Rubén Yáñez.[27] On 8 November 2013 he was called up to the under-21 team, along with Athletic teammate Iker Muniain.[28]

Arrizabalaga was called up to the senior side on 22 March 2017 ahead of a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Israel and a friendly with France, as a late replacement for the injured Pepe Reina.[29] He earned his first cap on 11 November of that year, playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 friendly win over Costa Rica in Málaga.[30][31]

Arrizabalaga was named in Spain’s 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[32]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 7 October 2018[33][34]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Basconia 2011–12 Tercera División 120————120
2012–13 Tercera División 190————190
Total 310————310
Bilbao Athletic 2012–13 Segunda División B 70———0070
2013–14 Segunda División B 260————260
2014–15 Segunda División B 170———00170
Total 500———00500
Athletic Bilbao 2014–15 La Liga 0000—00—00
2015–16 La Liga 0000—000000
2016–17 La Liga 23000—00—230
2017–18 La Liga 30010—00—310
Total 53010—00—540
Ponferradina (loan) 2014–15 Segunda División 20000———200
Valladolid (loan) 2015–16 Segunda División 39010———400
Chelsea 2018–19 Premier League 80000020—100
Career total 2010200020002050

    International

    As of 11 October 2018[35]
    Spain
    YearAppsGoals
    201710
    201810
    Total20

    Honours

    Spain U19

    References

    1. ↑ "2018/19 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
    2. ↑ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of players: Spain" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 28. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
    3. ↑ "Kepa Arrizabalaga: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
    4. ↑ "Kepa Arrizabalaga" (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
    5. ↑ "Athletic Club-Getafe: Line-ups". Athletic Bilbao. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    6. ↑ "Sin argumentos en la Catedral" [No arguments at the Cathedral]. Marca (in Spanish). 5 May 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    7. ↑ "Europa les pesa" [Europe weighs on them]. Marca (in Spanish). 23 September 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    8. ↑ "En Lezama apuestan fuerte por Kepa Arrizabalaga" [Lezama bets high on Kepa Arrizabalaga] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    9. ↑ "Bilbao Athletic 1–0 Unión Deportiva Logroñés" (in Spanish). UD Logroñés. 16 February 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    10. ↑ "El Bilbao Athletic amenaza el liderato del Alavés" [Bilbao Athletic threaten Alavés' lead] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
    11. ↑ "Kepa Arrizabalaga reaparece casi seis meses después en el Bilbao Athletic" [Kepa Arrizabalaga reappears after nearly six months in Bilbao Athletic] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 29 September 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    12. ↑ "Kepa Arrizabalaga's injury". Athletic Bilbao. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    13. ↑ "El Getafe pide la cesión de Kepa Arrizabalaga" [Getafe ask for Kepa Arrizabalaga's loan] (in Spanish). Aupa Athletic. 11 March 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    14. ↑ "El Athletic rechaza ceder hasta final de Liga al portero Kepa al Getafe" [Athletic reject loaning goalkeeper Kepa to Getafe until the end of the League]. El Correo (in Spanish). 12 March 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    15. ↑ "Kepa Arrizabalaga se incorpora a la Ponferradina" [Kepa Arrizabalaga added to Ponferradina] (in Spanish). SD Ponferradina. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
    16. ↑ "El Racing encontró justo premio a su trabajo en el último minuto" [Racing's work paid off in the last minute]. Marca (in Spanish). 11 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
    17. ↑ "Kepa cierra la portería del Pucela" [Kepa shuts down goal of Pucela] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
    18. ↑ Laz, Alberto (23 August 2015). "Fidel resuelve en un gran partido del Córdoba" [Fidel the decider in a great Córdoba match]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 September 2015.
    19. ↑ "Raúl García exhibe su pegada" [Raúl García shows his power]. Marca (in Spanish). 11 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
    20. ↑ "Kepa Arrizabalaga ends Real Madrid speculation by signing Athletic Bilbao deal". Sky Sports. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
    21. ↑ "Kepa pays termination clause". Athletic Bilbao. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
    22. ↑ Dominic Fifield (7 August 2018). "Chelsea to pay £71.6m for Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
    23. ↑ "Kepa arrives at Chelsea". Chelsea F.C. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
    24. ↑ Michael Emons (11 August 2018). "Huddersfield Town 0–3 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
    25. 1 2 "Spain make it six of the best in Estonia". UEFA. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
    26. ↑ "Spain finally see off France in semi-final shoot-out". UEFA. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    27. ↑ "Kepa deja la concentración por lesión y se pierde el Mundial de Turquía" [Kepa leaves training camp due to injury and misses World Cup in Turkey] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 7 June 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    28. ↑ "Under21 Call-up". Athletic Bilbao. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
    29. ↑ "Kepa Arrizabalaga gets Spain call as Pepe Reina suffers injury". India.com. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
    30. ↑ "Silva nets brace, Spain thrash Costa Rica in friendly". Chicago Tribune. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
    31. ↑ "Match report: Spain thrash Costa Rica in Málaga (5–0)". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
    32. ↑ "Morata misses out on Spain's 23-man World Cup squad". Goal. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
    33. ↑ "Kepa". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
    34. ↑ "Arrizabalaga". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
    35. ↑ "Kepa". European Football. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.