Xabier 'Xabi' Iruretagoiena Arantzamendi (born 21 March 1986), commonly known as Irureta, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.

Xabi Irureta
Personal information
Full name Xabier Iruretagoiena Arantzamendi
Date of birth (1986-03-21) 21 March 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Ondarroa, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Real Unión
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Real Unión 2 (0)
2006–2007 Aurrerá
2007–2009 Eibar B 48 (0)
2009–2016 Eibar 205 (0)
2016–2017 Zaragoza 17 (0)
2018 Delhi Dynamos 7 (0)
2018–2020 S.S. Reyes 48 (0)
2020–2021 Villarrubia 12 (0)
2021–2022 Racing Murcia 34 (0)
2022–2023 La Unión Atlético 31 (0)
International career
2014 Basque Country 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:52, 15 October 2023 (UTC)

He spent most of his professional career with Eibar, representing the club in all three major levels of Spanish football while appearing in 229 matches in all competitions.

Club career

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Eibar

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Born in Ondarroa, Biscay, Irureta made his senior debut with local Real Unión in the 2005–06 season, in the Segunda División B. In summer 2006, he moved to amateurs CD Aurrerá Ondarroa also in his native Basque Country.

In July 2007, Irureta joined SD Eibar, being initially assigned to the reserves in the Tercera División.[1] He played his first game as a professional on 30 May 2009, starting in a 3–0 Segunda División away loss against Xerez CD,[2] and made a further three appearances during the campaign as the side suffered relegation after finishing in 21st position.[3]

Irureta was definitely promoted to the main squad in July 2009,[4] being named first choice ahead of Zigor Goikuria. In 2012–13, he appeared in 46 matches (34 in the league, 4,126 minutes of action) to help Eibar return to the second division after a four-year absence.[5]

On 20 February 2014, Irureta signed a new two-year deal with the club,[6] which was promoted to La Liga for the first time ever.[7][5] He made his debut in the competition on 24 August aged 28, in a 1–0 home victory over Real Sociedad.[8]

Zaragoza

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On 20 July 2016, free agent Irureta agreed to a two-year contract at Real Zaragoza of the second tier.[9] On 1 September of the following year, after losing his starting position to youth graduate Álvaro Ratón, he left.[10]

Delhi Dynamos

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Irureta moved abroad on 4 January 2018, joining Indian Super League franchise Delhi Dynamos FC.[11] He made his debut in the competition three days later, in a 2–2 away draw against Chennaiyin FC.[12]

Career statistics

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As of match played on 15 March 2018[13]
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Unión 2004–05[14] Segunda División B 2 0 0 0 2 0
Eibar 2007–08[14] Segunda División 0 0 0 0 0 0
2008–09[14] Segunda División 4 0 0 0 4 0
2009–10[14] Segunda División B 26 0 1 0 0 0 27 0
2010–11[14] Segunda División B 32 0 1 0 4[a] 0 37 0
2011–12[14] Segunda División B 33 0 0 0 2[a] 0 35 0
2012–13[14] Segunda División B 34 0 6 0 6[a] 0 46 0
2013–14[14] Segunda División 39 0 0 0 39 0
2014–15[14] La Liga 33 0 0 0 33 0
2015–16[14] La Liga 4 0 4 0 8 0
Total 205 0 12 0 12 0 229 0
Zaragoza 2016–17[14] Segunda División 17 0 0 0 17 0
Delhi Dynamos 2017–18[15] Indian Super League 7 0 1 0 8 0
Career total 231 0 13 0 12 0 256 0
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in Promotion Play-offs

References

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  1. ^ La permanencia y que algún jugador suba al primer equipo, objetivos del Eibar B (Survival and promotion of the odd player to the first team, Eibar B's objectives); El Correo, 5 August 2007 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ El Xerez se paseó y acaricia el ascenso a Primera división (Xerez went sightseeing and caress promotion to Primera); Marca, 30 May 2009 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ "Una regeneración completa, o casi, para una nueva etapa" [Complete regeneration, or nearly, for a new spell] (in Spanish). Gara. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  4. ^ «Lo mejor de los porteros del Eibar es su gran predisposición al trabajo» ("The best of Eibar's goalkeepers is their willingness to work"); El Correo, 30 July 2009 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ a b Nueve jugadores del Eibar, de Segunda B a Primera en dos años (Nine Eibar players, from Segunda B to Primera in two years); El Diario Vasco, 27 November 2014 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ Xabi Irureta renueva por dos temporadas (Xabi Irureta renews for two seasons); SD Eibar, 20 February 2014 (in Spanish)
  7. ^ Borja Viguera, Xabi Irureta y Garitano, los tres triunfadores (Borja Viguera, Xabi Irureta and Garitano, the three winners); Marca, 9 June 2014 (in Spanish)
  8. ^ Lara seals dream start for Eibar; ESPN FC, 24 August 2014
  9. ^ Xabi Irureta defenderá la portería zaragocista (Xabi Irureta will defent the zaragocista goal); Real Zaragoza, 20 July 2016 (in Spanish)
  10. ^ Xabier Irureta y el Real Zaragoza ponen fin a su relación contractual (Xabier Irureta and Real Zaragoza end their contractual relationship); Real Zaragoza, 1 September 2017 (in Spanish)
  11. ^ "ISL 2017: Stuttering Delhi Dynamos rope in Spanish keeper Xabi Irureta". News18 India. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  12. ^ "ISL 2017–18: Chennaiyin FC 2–2 Delhi Dynamos – Late strike by Guyon Fernandez denies win for Super Machans". Yahoo! News. 7 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  13. ^ Xabi Irureta at Soccerway
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Irureta: Xabier Iruretagoiena Artzamendi". BDFutbol. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Xabi Irureta". Flash Score. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
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