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 as a left back for Athletic Bilbao.

Mikel Balenziaga

Personal information
Full name	Mikel Balenziaga Oruesagasti[1]
Date of birth	29 February 1988[2]
Place of birth	Zumarraga, Spain[2]
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
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	68	(0)
2013–	Athletic Bilbao	178	(1)
National team^‡
2007	Spain U19	5	(0)
2008	Spain U21	1	(0)
2012–	Basque Country	7	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 January 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16:29, 17 November 2020 (UTC)

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.[3]

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.[4]

In July 2009, Athletic bought Xabi Castillo from neighbours Real Sociedad and Balenziaga, seeing his chances for the upcoming season dim, accepted a loan move to CD Numancia, recently relegated from the top division.[5] 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.[6]

After two solid years in Castile and León,[7] Balenziaga returned to Athletic for 2013–14 to challenge for a first-team spot under new manager Ernesto Valverde.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] He also featured for the unofficial Basque Country regional side.[11]

Career statistics

Club

As of 11:03, 23 November 2020 (UTC)[12]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Real Sociedad B	2006–07	Segunda División B	17	0	–		–		17	0
	2007–08		36	0	–		–		36	0
	Total		53	0	0	0	0	0	53	0
Athletic Bilbao	2008–09	La Liga	24	0	2	0	–		26	0
Numancia	2009-10	Segunda División	26	0	0	0	–		26	0
Athletic Bilbao	2010–11	La Liga	1	0	0	0	-		1	0
Valladolid	2011–12	Segunda División	36	0	1	0	4[lower-alpha 2]	0	41	0
	2012–13		32	0	2	0	–		34	0
	Total		68	0	3	0	4	0	75	0
Athletic Bilbao	2013–14	La Liga	31	0	6	0	–		36	0
	2014–15		33	0	7	0	8[lower-alpha 3]	0	48	0
	2015–16		34	0	4	0	13[lower-alpha 4]	0	51	0
	2016–17		33	1	3	0	7[lower-alpha 5]	0[lower-alpha 6]	43	1
	2017–18		18	0	0	0	10[lower-alpha 5]	0	28	0
	2018–19		11	0	2	0	–		13	0
	2019–20		9	0	2	0	–		11	0
	2020–21		5	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
	Total		174	1	26	0	36	0	236	1
Career total			346	1	31	0	40	0	417	1

1. In isolation, Balenziaga is pronounced [balenˈθjaɣa].
2. Appearances in 2012 Segunda División play-offs.
3. Appearances in UEFA Champions League.
4. 11 appearances in 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, 2 appearances in 2015 Supercopa de España.
5. Appearances in UEFA Europa League.
6. 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 big deflection off a defender.

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

• Supercopa de España: 2015,[13] 2020–21[14]

Notes

References

1. "Mikel Balenziaga". Athletic Bilbao. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
2. "Mikel Balenziaga". Eurosport. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
3. "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.
4. "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.
5. Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier (11 August 2009). "Balenziaga se va cedido al Numancia y Murillo, al Salamanca" [Balenziaga goes on loan to Numancia and Murillo, to Salamanca]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 December 2017.
6. "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.
7. Encinas, Mikel (15 March 2013). "Balenziaga: el eslabón perdido" [Balenziaga: the missing link]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 January 2021.
8. Atkinson, Tre (28 June 2013). "Mikel Balenziaga returns to Athletic Bilbao". Inside Spanish Football. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
9. Campos, Tomás (24 September 2016). "Balenziaga prolonga la fiesta en San Mamés" [Balenziaga extends party at San Mamés]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 September 2016.
10. "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.
11. "Catalunya 0–1 Euskal Selekzioa" [Catalonia 0–1 Basque XI] (in Spanish). Basque Football Federation. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
12. "Balenziaga". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
13. "Acta del partido celebrado el 14 de agosto de 2015, en Bilbao" [Minutes of the match held on 14 August 2015, in Bilbao] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
    "Acta del partido celebrado el 17 de agosto de 2015, en Barcelona" [Minutes of the match held on 17 August 2015, in Barcelona] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
14. "Acta del partido celebrado el 17 de enero de 2021, en Sevilla" [Minutes of the match held on 17 January 2021, in Seville] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 24 January 2021.

External links

• Mikel Balenziaga at Athletic Bilbao
• Mikel Balenziaga at BDFutbol