Raúl, Kodro and Iñigo Pérez, survivors at the crossroads

Raúl García, Kenan Kodro and Iñigo Pérez are the only footballers in the last two decades who have made a crossroads between Athletic and Osasuna and remain in their respective teams. The first one, a total player, was trained in Tajonar and arrived at the red-and-white club from Atlético, while the striker was the hero of the promotion of the ‘rojillos’ in 2016 by scoring two goals in the qualifying round against Girona. The left-footer, with a glove on his left leg, grew up in Lezama to shine with Bielsa and, after passing through Mallorca and Numancia, stopped at El Sadar at the request of Jagoba Arrasate.

They are not the only ones who have played in both clubs, in the first team, in the last two decades. David López (Eldense) is still active. Javi Martínez (Bayern) did not make his debut at the top before moving to Lezama. There are still a few players involved in football: Roberto Martínez ‘Tiko’ is one of the coaches specific to positions in the youth categories, a position he shares with Carlos Gurpegui.

Mari Lacruz stopped training, also in Tajonar, to work as a football agent, while Iñaki Muñoz, who also passed through his bents, is a beater for Atlético. Both were coaches in Tajonar. Iñigo Larrainzar and Txomin Nagore are second coaches at Pamplona and Txantrea in the Youth Division, both clubs agreed with Athletic. Pablo Orbaiz also wanted to train and, due to, he become second to Leo Franco in Huesca. Unai Expósito is another one who wanted to work with players of lower categories and has been in youth of Danok Bat, but his professional dedication is the hotel industry, in which he is a businessman.

Aitor Ocio, with two different periods in Athletic, and Felipe Guréndez spent a year on loan by Osasuna. The first one is a businessman in the wellness sector, with a clinic of medicine and aesthetic surgery; personal training centres and a Balinese spa-museum. His fellow countryman, an example of club footballer, works in the family livestock business.

On the other hans are Santi Ezquerro and Kike Sola. Both have been related to the wine industry. The first, who lives in Sitges, has an organic wine with his fellow ex-footballer Oscar Arpón. Meanwhile, Kike Sola works as influencer in the sector and is the image of the Regulatory Council of La Rioja.