Gaizka Larrazabal

Gaizka Larrazabal Goikoetxea (born 17 December 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Athletic Bilbao.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Larrazabal and the second or maternal family name is Goikoetxea.
Gaizka Larrazabal
Personal information
Full name Gaizka Larrazabal Goikoetxea
Date of birth (1997-12-17) 17 December 1997
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 Athletic Bilbao
Number 12
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–  Athletic Bilbao 10  (0)
National team‡
2019– Basque Country 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 June 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 August 2019

Club career

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]

International career

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.[8][9]

Personal life

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][10] 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,[11] 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][10] and the first to both feature for the Basque Country team since 'Periko' and Xabi Alonso.

References
  1. "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. "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. "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. "Gaizka Larrazabal will become part of the first team". Athletic Bilbao. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  7. "Empate justo entre Getafe y Athletic" [Fair draw between Getafe and Athletic]. El País (in Spanish). 25 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  8. "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.
  9. "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.
  10. ""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.
  11. "Amurrio 1 - 2 Athletic Club". Athletic Bilbao. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
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