Julen Agirrezabala will shine in the goal of Athletic in the league debut as a visitor against Elche. The donostiarra will be officially released with the rojiblanco first team crest with 20 years, 7 months and 18 days. In the last 40 years at Athletic there have only been two goalkeepers who made their debut before him: Andoni Zubizarreta and Kike Burgos.
The goalkeeper, renewed last March until 2025, it has made an extreme profit from the preseason. He started it as meritorious and will end it as the first starter of the season. He will do it by surprise. In these weeks of preparation work, he has convinced Marcelino and has gained the trust of his colleagues, who feel comfortable with him.
Elche-Athletic will have him in goal because Simón has not had a vacation and has competed to the end in the Eurocup and the Olympic Games. “The boy also has to rest. It is a position of great responsibility that carries an important emotional load. Sometimes we believe that footballers do not suffer and they too are human beings,” said Marcelino from the international at the beginning of the summer.
Simón will join the team’s work in a very short time and from his return the coach will manage his return to the team. Agirrezabala has not ousted him from ownership, but yes will take advantage of the circumstances. Logic says that Simón will regain his position as soon as he accumulates training after the obligatory and necessary rest, although Marcelino will not give away titles: the one who does it best will play without looking at ages or trajectories. Agirrezabala will not stop playing because if he does not do it with the first team, he will be able to do it with the subsidiary, since the regulations enable him to do so.
In the In the last 40 years, only Zubizarreta and Kike Burgos played in the League with an age younger than that of Agirrezabala. And in these four decades the goal of San Mamés has seen 6 of the 10 goalkeepers who have played the most games in history with Athletic. Time before Zubizarreta’s debut he retired Iribar, who happens to be the player with the most matches with the rojiblanca (614) and a Reliable goalkeeper from the beginning despite debuting at 19 years, 6 months and 22 days.
Age of debut in the League of Athletic goalkeepers since 1981
- Zubizarreta 19 years, 10 months and 24 days
- Kike Burgos 20 years, 1 month and 25 days
- Pampín 20 years, 10 months and 16 days
- Valencia 20 years, 11 months and 18 days
- Simón 21 years, 2 months and 4 days
- Aranzubia 21 years, 8 months and 21 days
- Aizkorreta 21 years, 9 months and 26 days
- Kepa 21 years, 11 months and 8 days
- Raúl Fernández 23 years, 1 month and 3 days
- Imanol 23 years, 10 months, and 8 days
- Lafuente 23 years, 11 months, and 21 days
- Patxi Iru 24 years, 8 months and 2 days
- Ezkieta 24 years, 9 months and 5 days
- Herrerín 25 years, 6 months and 25 days
- Iraizoz 26 years, 6 months, and 20 days
- Biurrun 26 years, 11 months, and 29 days
- Armando 37 years and 16 days
