Euskaraz irakurri: Mikel Balenziagak ez du Athleticen jarraituko denboraldia amaituta

Mikel Balenziaga announced this Thursday that will leave Athletic at the end of this season. Zumarraga’s left-back, 35, has played so far 321 matches with the Bilbao club, which he joined in 2008 from the Real. Balenziaga has made public this Thursday, in San Mamés, that at the end of the League, in June, he will not continue as a rojiblanco player, since he will not renew the contract that binds him to the Biscayan team, although his intention is continue as a footballer in another club.

In an emotional press conference that he has offered in San Mamés, in front of all his teammates, to which he has agreed with the president, Jon Uriarte, Balenziaga has made it clear that the decision not to continue at Athletic has been agreed between the club and himself, given that he has barely had opportunities to play in recent months. President Uriarte has highlighted that the rojiblanco defender brings together all the values ​​of the Bilbao club, and has presented him with a special shirt, on behalf of the entity.

The player has specified that he feels “strong” to continue his professional career starting next season, at another club. However, he has stressed, on numerous occasions, that his main motivation for the immediate future is to contribute, in the remaining nine league games, so that Athletic can obtain a place to compete in Europe in the 2023-24 campaign. .

Balenziaga has pointed out that he is very proud of the career that he has managed to complete at Athletic, and has pointed out unforgettable moments of it, such as the Super Cups that he has won or the tie against Napoli that, in 2014, gave the rojiblanco team access to the group stage of the League of Champions. However, to questions from the media, he acknowledged that he would have liked to be Cup champion: “Fortunately”, he continued, referring to his status as a fan of the Biscayan club, “I have many years left to be able to see Athletic how they achieve it”.

Coming from Real, in whose subsidiary, Sanse, he lined up in the 2007-08 season, Balenziaga signed for Athletic just started the 2008-09 season, and debuted on September 14, 2008with Joaquin Caparros as coach, on the second day of the League, at La Rosaleda (the same day as Ander Iturraspe, who left the club in 2019 after playing exactly one game less than the 321 that the Gipuzkoan has accumulated so far). Since then he has belonged to the discipline of the Bilbao team, although During three seasons, in 2009-10 and in 2011-12 and 2012-13, he played on loan, in Numancia and Valladolid, respectively. He returned to Bilbao permanently in 2013, with ernesto valverde as an Athletic coach.

Among his achievements, he highlights that, in the 12 seasons that accumulates in Bilbao, has achieved two titles with Athletic, both Super Cup, in 2015 and 2021. In addition, Balenziaga has been runner-up in the Cup in 2009, 2015, 2020 and 2021 with the Biscayan team, and once runner-up in the Super Cup, in 2022. In the 2014-15 season, he played eight Champions League games with Athletic, and adds a total of 28 games in the Europa League.

Balenziaga is currently with 321 games played, ranked 42 of the historical ranking of players who have aligned themselves with Athletic the most times. He could top, on that list, Alkiza Bittorwhich, with 328 matches, precedes him, and equals Raul Garcia, which adds up to 330; It is true that in this 2022-23 season, Zumarraga’s left-back has barely been lined up by his coach, and has taken the field in three League games and one Cup game.

In his career, he has authored two goalsboth in the 2016-17 season, in San Mamés, against Sevilla, in the League, and against Apoel, in the Europa League.

Source: Eitb

Kingston

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