Mikel San José (Pamplona, 09-17-2009) will leave Athletic Club as a significant player in the 21st century. With three games left to reach the 400 as a lion, divided into eleven seasons, he won his popularity in the stands for being a defensive footballer with a striking soul. His 37 goals are only surpassed by another red-and-white centre-back, none other than Andoni Goikoetxea. Certainly, after Caparrós set him as a defender and Bielsa made his first moves with him as defensive midfielder, he took advantage of the fact that Valverde settled him in midfield as an alternative to Iturraspe. His versatility led him to be called up by Del Bosque for the European Championship in France.
After arriving from La Txantrea as a junior, the player from Navarra decided to venture into the Liverpool subsidiary, where he stayed for two years. He was back as a centre in 2009 for his outstanding performance and aerial game, which helped to get the crowd to cheer his name every time there was a corner. He made his debut against Austria Vienna and for the second leg, in a match with a hostile atmosphere that bordered on a suspension for field invasion, he already left his mark with a sensational volley.
The player from Atarrabia has scored some very significant goals, thanks to his intuition and ability to head and the skill of his shots. His goal to Barcelona in the first leg of the Supercup is unforgettable, with a difficult lob to Ter Stegen from midfield that opened the way to the title. Aduriz, with four more goals between San Mamés and Camp Nou, would complete the job.
A starter in the historic win at Old Trafford, he missed both the UEFA Europa League and Cup finals that year, but played the entire match in the 2014-15 season at Camp Nou. He can also boast of scoring the first red-and-white goal at the new San Mamés against Celta, which partially equalled Charles’ in a 3-2 win for the Lions. He also has two goals in the Champions League, against BATE Borisov and Shakhtar. The latter goal was the only away win for Athletic in the competition.
Valverde: "Real Sociedad were more clinical"
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The gaffer insisted the derby was more even than the 3-0 scoreline suggests
Work plan until October 8
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Athletic's men's first team will follow the below schedule until October 8
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Tough defeat at the Reale Arena
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Athletic were punished for their lack of precision in both boxes
Match Pack: Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD8)
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Everything you need to know between Saturday's derby between Donostiarras and Bilbainos at the Reale Arena
Squad List: Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD8)
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Ernesto Valverde has named a 21-man squad for Saturday's Basque Derby at the Reale Arena
Valverde: "In my opinion, it's the best derby in LaLiga"
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The boss spoke about the great atmosphere at Basque Derby matches where the football always come first
Global TV Guide: Real Sociedad vs Athletic Club (LaLiga MD8)
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Make sure you don't miss Saturday's Basque Derby, no matter where you are
Valverde: “It was a hard-fought match, as we expected"
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The gaffer admitted he "would have liked to have won, but the sending off and the circumstances of the match have had a big impact"
Muniain goes joint second in Athletic appearance rankings
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The current captain moves level with Txetxu Rojo in the club's all time standings/p>
Athletic close to snatching victory against the odds
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The Lions pull off a 2-2 draw despite being a man down for the entire second half