Xabi Irureta

Xabi Irureta
Personal information
Full name Xabier Iruretagoiena Arantzamendi[1]
Date of birth (1986-03-21) 21 March 1986[1]
Place of birth Ondarroa, Spain[1]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position 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 32 (0)
2022–2023 La Unión Atlético 25 (0)
Total 396 (0)
International career
2014 Basque Country 1 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

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

He spent most of his 18-year career with Eibar, representing the club in all three major levels of Spanish football while appearing in 229 matches in all competitions.

Club career

Eibar

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.[2] He played his first game as a professional on 30 May 2009, starting in a 3–0 Segunda División away loss against Xerez CD,[3] and made a further three appearances during the campaign as the side suffered relegation after finishing in 21st position.[4]

Irureta was definitely promoted to the main squad in July 2009,[5] 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.[6]

On 20 February 2014, Irureta signed a new two-year deal with the club,[7] which was promoted to La Liga for the first time ever.[8][6] He made his debut in the competition on 24 August aged 28, in a 1–0 home victory over Real Sociedad.[9]

Zaragoza

On 20 July 2016, the free agent Irureta agreed to a two-year contract at Real Zaragoza of the second tier.[10] On 1 September of the following year, after losing his starting position to youth graduate Álvaro Ratón,[11][12] he left.[13]

Delhi Dynamos

Irureta moved abroad on 4 January 2018, joining Indian Super League franchise Delhi Dynamos FC.[14] He made his debut in the competition three days later, in a 2–2 away draw against Chennaiyin FC.[15]

Later career

Subsequently, Irureta competed in the Spanish lower leagues and amateur divisions, representing UD San Sebastián de los Reyes, Villarrubia CF,[16] Racing Murcia FC and FC La Unión Atlético.[17]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[18]
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Unión 2004–05[19] Segunda División B 2000—20
Eibar 2007–08[19] Segunda División 0000—00
2008–09[19] Segunda División 4000—40
2009–10[19] Segunda División B 2601000270
2010–11[19] Segunda División B 320104[a]0370
2011–12[19] Segunda División B 330002[a]0350
2012–13[19] Segunda División B 340606[a]0460
2013–14[19] Segunda División 39000—390
2014–15[19] La Liga 33000—330
2015–16[19] La Liga 4040—80
Total 20501201202290
Zaragoza 2016–17[19] Segunda División 17000—170
Delhi Dynamos 2017–18[20] Indian Super League 7010—80
S.S. Reyes 2018–19[19] Segunda División B 250——250
2019–20[19] Segunda División B 23020—250
Total 48020—500
Villarrubia 2020–21[19] Segunda División B 120——120
Racing Murcia 2021–22[21] Tercera División RFEF 320—2[b]0340
La Unión Atlético 2022–23[21] Tercera Federación 250—6[b]0310
Career total 34801502003830
  1. 1 2 3 Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
  2. 1 2 Appearances in Tercera Federación play-offs

Honours

Eibar

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Xabi Irureta at WorldFootball.net
  2. ↑ 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)
  3. ↑ 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)
  4. ↑ "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.
  5. ↑ «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)
  6. 1 2 Nueve jugadores del Eibar, de Segunda B a Primera en dos años (Nine Eibar players, from Segunda B to Primera in two years) Archived 1 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine; El Diario Vasco, 27 November 2014 (in Spanish)
  7. ↑ Xabi Irureta renueva por dos temporadas (Xabi Irureta renews for two seasons); SD Eibar, 20 February 2014 (in Spanish)
  8. ↑ Borja Viguera, Xabi Irureta y Garitano, los tres triunfadores (Borja Viguera, Xabi Irureta and Garitano, the three winners); Marca, 9 June 2014 (in Spanish)
  9. ↑ Lara seals dream start for Eibar; ESPN FC, 24 August 2014
  10. ↑ Xabi Irureta defenderá la portería zaragocista (Xabi Irureta will defent the zaragocista goal); Real Zaragoza, 20 July 2016 (in Spanish)
  11. ↑ Martín, Ignacio (17 July 2017). "Las ventajas de Álvaro Ratón" [The advantages of Alvaro Ratón] (in Spanish). El Periódico de Aragón. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  12. ↑ Valero, Santiago (22 November 2025). "Xabi Irureta: "Lo pasé mal y se dijeron cosas injustas, pero le tengo mucho cariño al Zaragoza"" [Xabi Irureta: "I had a hard time and unfair things were said, but I cherish Zaragoza a lot"] (in Spanish). El Periódico de Aragón. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  13. ↑ 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)
  14. ↑ "ISL 2017: Stuttering Delhi Dynamos rope in Spanish keeper Xabi Irureta". News18 India. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  15. ↑ "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.
  16. ↑ "Xabi Irureta cierra la portería del Villarrubia" [Xabi Irureta completes goal of Villarrubia] (in Spanish). La Tribuna de Ciudad Real. 29 August 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "Xabi Irureta, nuevo fichaje de La Unión Atlético" [Xabi Irureta, new signing of La Unión Atlético] (in Spanish). BeSoccer. 22 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  18. ↑ Xabi Irureta at Soccerway
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Xabi Irureta at BDFutbol
  20. ↑ "Xabi Irureta". Flash Score. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  21. 1 2 Xabi Irureta at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
  22. ↑ Ramos, Gabi (8 June 2014). "¡Campeones de Segunda!" [Segunda champions!] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  23. ↑ Egea, Pablo (11 November 2014). "Irureta: "¿El Madrid? Como no vengan al cien por cien..."" [Irureta: "Madrid? Unless they come at 100%..."] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
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