Igor Gabilondo

Igor Gabilondo del Campo (born 10 February 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left midfielder.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Gabilondo and the second or maternal family name is Del Campo.
Igor Gabilondo
Gabilondo taking a corner for Athletic in 2008
Personal information
Full name Igor Gabilondo del Campo
Date of birth (1979-02-10) 10 February 1979
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Añorga KKE
1993–1997 Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2000 Real Sociedad B
2000–2006 Real Sociedad 129 (13)
2006–2012 Athletic Bilbao 147 (20)
2012 AEK Larnaca 6 (0)
Total 282 (33)
National team
2002–2011 Basque Country 12 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played mainly for Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao (six seasons apiece) during his career, amassing La Liga totals of 276 games and 33 goals.[1]

Club career

Gabilondo was born in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa. A product of Real Sociedad's youth system, he appeared sparingly for the first team in his first two seasons as a professional but went on to become an important element for the Basque club, scoring five La Liga goals in 33 games during the 2003–04 campaign.

In 2006, Gabilondo moved to arch rivals Athletic Bilbao on a free transfer,[2] producing roughly the same numbers in his first two seasons combined (59 matches and seven goals). On 7 April 2007, he scored the game's only goal in a home win against Valencia CF.[3]

Gabilondo was sparingly played in 2008–09,[4] but the 30-year-old regained his importance in the following year, netting three times during the season, two of those coming in 4–1 home triumphs against CD Tenerife and UD Almería[5][6]– Athletic finished eighth.

In 2010–11, veteran Gabilondo was regularly used by Athletic Bilbao, alternating between the starting XI and the substitutes bench. He equalled a career-best five goals, either from free kicks or long-distance shots,[7][8][9][10] also scoring against AD Alcorcón for the campaign's Copa del Rey in a 2–0 home win and 3–0 on aggregate.[11]

On 10 July 2012, aged 33, Gabilondo moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing for one year (with an option for a further season) with AEK Larnaca FC in the Cypriot First Division and rejoining former Athletic teammate Ander Murillo.[12]

International career

On 28 December 2011, Gabilondo equalled Julen Guerrero as the most capped played in the history of the Basque Country regional team. The match against Tunisia was his 12th appearance with the Euskal Herriko Selekzioa.[13][14]

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

References
  1. "Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: jugadores en los dos bandos" [Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: players on both sides]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 9 May 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  2. "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.
  3. "Athletic Bilbao 1–0 Valencia". ESPN Soccernet. 7 April 2007. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  4. "El mejor Gabilondo" [The best Gabilondo]. El Correo (in Spanish). 16 January 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  5. "El Athletic golea y el Zaragoza se hunde" [Athletic rout and Zaragoza sink] (in Spanish). RTVE. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  6. "Javi Martínez, genio de San Mamés" [Javi Martínez, wizard of San Mamés]. El País (in Spanish). 12 April 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  7. "Valencia 2–1 Athletic Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  8. "Bilbao ease past Getafe". ESPN Soccernet. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  9. "Bilbao pick up away win". ESPN Soccernet. 18 December 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  10. "Gabilondo, zurda gran reserva" [Gabilondo, vintage ("reserva" also meaning "substitute" in Spanish) lefty] (in Spanish). Fútbol Primera. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  11. "El Athletic, sin problemas" [Athletic, no problems]. El País (in Spanish). 11 November 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  12. "Igor Gabilondo jugará en Chipre" [Igor Gabilondo will play in Cyprus]. Marca (in Spanish). 10 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  13. "Esqueleto rojiblanco" [Red-and-white skeleton]. Deia (in Spanish). 29 December 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  14. "Sin gol" [No goal]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 29 December 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
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