Mikel Oyarzabal

Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte (born 21 April 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger or a forward for Real Sociedad and the Spanish national team.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Oyarzabal and the second or maternal family name is Ugarte.
Mikel Oyarzabal
Oyarzabal with Spain in 2019
Personal information
Full name Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte
Date of birth (1997-04-21) 21 April 1997
Place of birth Eibar, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position(s) Winger / Forward
Club information
Current team
 Real Sociedad
Number 10
Youth career
Eibar
2011–2015 Real Sociedad
2013–2014 → Eibar (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Real Sociedad B 13 (3)
2015– Real Sociedad 162 (42)
National team‡
2015 Spain U18 2 (0)
2016 Spain U19 4 (0)
2017–2019 Spain U21 25 (8)
2016– Spain 7 (2)
2016– Basque Country 1 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 June 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2019

Club career

Born in Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Oyarzabal joined Real Sociedad's youth setup in 2011, aged 14.[2] While still a junior, he made his senior debut with the reserves on 15 November 2014, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–2 away win against SD Amorebieta for the Segunda División B championship.[3]

On 20 September 2015, Oyarzabal scored his first senior goals, scoring twice in a 5–0 away rout of CD Mensajero.[4] He made his first-team and La Liga debut on 25 October, replacing Carlos Vela in the dying minutes of a 4–0 win at Levante UD.[5]

Oyarzabal scored his first goal for Real Sociedad on 8 February 2016 in a 5–0 away win over RCD Espanyol.[6] Six days later, shortly after having extended his contract until 2021,[7] he scored two goals to help defeat Granada CF 3–0 at the Anoeta Stadium.[8]

Oyarzabal with Real Sociedad, 2018

On 19 August 2016, Oyarzabal again renewed his contract until 2022.[9] He featured in all 38 league matches over the season,[10] as the San Sebastián-based team came sixth and returned to the UEFA Europa League after a two-year absence.

Oyarzabal made his European debut on 19 October 2017, scoring in a 6–0 thrashing of FK Vardar in Macedonia for the Europa League group stage.[11] His team made it to the last 32, with him scoring an own goal in a 4–3 aggregate loss to FC Red Bull Salzburg;[12] on the domestic front he scored a career-best 12 goals, including two in a 5–0 win over Girona FC on 8 April 2018.[13]

On 5 October 2018, Oyarzabal scored his first goals since May of that year, two penalties in a 3–1 away win over Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.[14] Athletic Bilbao had tried to sign him in the summer transfer window, but he had rejected their approach in favour of signing a new contract with Real Sociedad to run until 2024.[15]

In the 2019–20 Copa del Rey, Oyarzabal scored a penalty in each leg of a 3–1 aggregate win over CD Mirandés as his team reached the final for the first time since 1988.[16]

International career
Oyarzabal with Spain under-18s

Oyarzabal represented Spain at under-18[17] and under-19 levels.[18] On 17 May 2016, aged only 19, he was called up to the full squad for an international friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.[19] Twelve days later, he replaced goalscorer Nolito at the hour mark of the 3–1 win in Switzerland.[20]

Oyarzabal also featured for the Basque national team, scoring on his debut to cap a 3–1 win over Tunisia at the San Mamés Stadium on 30 December 2016.[21]

Personal life

Oyarzabal combined his early professional career with studying for a Business degree at the University of Deusto.[10]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 24 June 2020[22]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Sociedad B 2014–15 Segunda División B 50––50
2015–16 83––83
Total 133––133
Real Sociedad 2015–16 La Liga 22620–246
2016–17 38252–434
2017–18 351220624314
2018–19 371341–4114
2019–20 30972–3711
Total 162422056218849
Career total 175452056220152

International
As of match played 18 November 2019[23]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 201610
201962
Total72

International goals
As of 18 November 2019 (Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Oyarzabal goal)[23]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 June 2019Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain2 Sweden3–03–0UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
2 18 November 2019Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain7 Romania5–05–0

Honours

International

Spain U21

References
  1. "Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte". Real Sociedad. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  2. Vicente, Álvaro (1 June 2015). "Oiarzabal pide sitio en el primer equipo" [Oiarzabal asks for a place in the first team]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  3. "Gran triunfo del Sanse en Amorebieta (2–3)" [Great win from Sanse in Amorebieta (2–3)] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  4. "El Sanse lo borda en La Palma (0–5)" [Sanse excel in La Palma (0–5)] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. 20 September 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  5. Ballesteros, Cristian (25 October 2015). "La Real coge aire y deja tocado a Alcaraz" [Real take a breather and leave Alcaraz hurting]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  6. "Vela and Reyes score in Real Sociedad win". Goal. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  7. "Mikel Oyarzabal signs new deal with Real Sociedad". ESPN FC. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  8. "Mikel Oyarzabal double helps Real Sociedad see off Granada". ESPN FC. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  9. "Agreement to renew Mikel Oyarzabal's contract". Real Sociedad. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  10. Erkizia, Oier (3 July 2017). "Del Europeo a la biblioteca" [From the European championships to the library]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  11. G. Gil, Aimara (19 October 2017). "Vardar 0 Real Sociedad 6: resumen, resultado y goles" [Vardar 0 Real Sociedad 6: report, result and goals]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  12. Mayo, Marc (15 February 2018). "Salzburg battle to draw at Real Sociedad". Marca. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  13. "Resounding win". Real Sociedad. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  14. "Football news – Two penalties give Real Sociedad derby win at Athletic Bilbao". Eurosport. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  15. "Oyarzabal confident about Real Sociedad contract, mum on Athletic Bilbao". EFE. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  16. "Real Sociedad beat Mirandes to end 32-year wait for Copa final". BeIN Sports. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  17. "Oyarzabal and Zubeldia with Spain's Under-18". Real Sociedad. 9 August 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  18. "Mikel Oyarzabal, with Spain's Under-19s". Real Sociedad. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  19. "Mikel Oyarzabal called by Spain's senior side". Real Sociedad. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  20. Campos, Tomás (29 May 2016). "Nolito endulza un duelo atípico" [Nolito sweetens an atypical duel]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  21. Cuenca, Nika (30 December 2016). "Euskadi gana a Túnez, pero la afición muestra su desánimo" [Basque Country win against Tunisia, but the fans show their disapproval]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  22. "Mikel Oyarzabal". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  23. "Mikel Oyarzabal". European Football. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  24. Begley, Emlyn (30 June 2019). "Spain U21 2–1 Germany U21". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  25. "Germany U21 1–0 Spain U21". BBC Sport. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
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