Mikel Balenziaga
Mikel Balenziaga Oruesagasti (Basque: [mikel balens̻iaɣa]; Spanish: [ˈmikel βalenˈθjaɣa];[lower-alpha 1] born 29 February 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao as a left back.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mikel Balenziaga Oruesagasti | ||
| Date of birth | 29 February 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Zumarraga, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position(s) | Left back | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Real Sociedad | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2008 | Real Sociedad B | 53 | (0) |
| 2008–2011 | Athletic Bilbao | 25 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Numancia (loan) | 26 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Valladolid | 72 | (0) |
| 2013– | Athletic Bilbao | 165 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007 | Spain U19 | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | Spain U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2012– | Basque Country | 6 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 June 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 31 December 2016 | |||
Club career
Born in Zumarraga, Gipuzkoa, Balenziaga started his football grooming at Real Sociedad, playing two full seasons with its B-team in the third division. However, in 2008–09, he switched to neighbours Athletic Bilbao.[1]
Initially thought of as a member of the reserve side, Balenziaga quickly beat competition from veterans Koikili and Javier Casas to become the undisputed first-choice for the vast majority of the campaign, making his first-team debut on 14 September 2008 in a 0–0 away draw against Málaga CF – another club graduate, Ander Iturraspe, also made his first La Liga appearance in that game.[2]
In July 2009, Athletic bought Xabier Castillo from neighbours Real Sociedad and Balenziaga, seeing his chances for the upcoming season dim, accepted a loan move to CD Numancia, freshly relegated from the top division.[3] He transferred to Real Valladolid on a three-year contract in the summer of 2011, after an unassuming campaign in which he made only one official appearance for the Lions.[4]
After two solid years as first-choice in Castile and León, Balenziaga returned to Athletic for 2013–14 to challenge for a first-team spot under new manager Ernesto Valverde.[5] He scored his first ever goal as a professional on 24 September 2016, helping the hosts defeat Sevilla FC 3–1 in the domestic league.[6]
International career
Balenziaga appeared once for the Spain under-21 team, playing 58 minutes in a 1–4 friendly away loss to Portugal on 18 November 2008.[7] He also featured for the unofficial Basque Country regional side.[8]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 23 June 2020[9]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2008–09 | La Liga | 24 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 0 | ||
| Total | 24 | 0 | – | – | 24 | 0 | ||||
| Numancia | 2009-10 | Segunda División | 26 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 0 | ||
| Total | 26 | 0 | – | – | 26 | 0 | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2010–11 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | – | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Valladolid | 2011–12 | Segunda División | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 41 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 34 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 75 | 0 | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2013–14 | La Liga | 31 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 36 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | 33 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 48 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 51 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0[lower-alpha 2] | 43 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 165 | 1 | 26 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 227 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 288 | 1 | 29 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 353 | 1 | ||
- In isolation, Balenziaga is pronounced [balenˈθjaɣa].
- Athletic Bilbao credited him with one goal in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League match at home to APOEL FC, but the official report listed this as an own goal, and match footage confirmed a huge deflection off a defender
Notes
References
- "Los otros realistas que acabaron en el Athletic" [The other realistas who ended up at Athletic]. El Correo (in Spanish). 2 July 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "Málaga CF 0-Athletic Club 0: First Point". Athletic Bilbao. 14 September 2008. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- "Balenziaga se va cedido al Numancia y Murillo, al Salamanca" [Balenziaga goes on loan to Numancia and Murillo, to Salamanca]. El Correo (in Spanish). 11 August 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- "Mikel Balenziaga ficha por el Real Valladolid por tres temporadas" [Mikel Balenziaga signs with Real Valladolid for three seasons]. Marca (in Spanish). 4 August 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
- "Mikel Balenziaga returns to Athletic Bilbao". Inside Spanish Football. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- "Balenziaga prolonga la fiesta en San Mamés" [Balenziaga extends party at San Mamés]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- "Selecção de sub-21 vence Espanha por 4–1 em particular" [Under-21 national team beat Spain 4–1 in friendly] (in Portuguese). TSF. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
- "Catalunya 0–1 Euskal Selekzioa" [Catalonia 0–1 Basque XI] (in Spanish). Basque Football Federation. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- "Balenziaga". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 June 2017.