Aitor López Rekarte facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aitor López Rekarte | ||
| Date of birth | 18 August 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Mondragón, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1994 | Real Sociedad | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1994–1997 | Real Sociedad B | 98 | (2) |
| 1997–2007 | Real Sociedad | 316 | (4) |
| 2007–2008 | Almería | 10 | (0) |
| 2009 | Eibar | 11 | (0) |
| Total | 435 | (6) | |
| National team | |||
| 1991 | Spain U16 | 7 | (0) |
| 1993 | Spain U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 1994 | Spain U18 | 6 | (0) |
| 1997–1998 | Spain U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 1997 | Spain U23 | 3 | (0) |
| 2004 | Spain | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2007 | Basque Country | 9 | (0) |
|
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Aitor López Rekarte (born August 18, 1975) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a defender, usually on the right side of the field. Sometimes, he also played on the other side. Aitor spent most of his career, 13 out of 15 seasons, with Real Sociedad. He played 338 official games for them.
Contents
Aitor's Club Career
Aitor López Rekarte was born in Mondragón, a town in the Basque Country, Spain. He played for his local club, Real Sociedad, for ten years. He made almost 350 appearances for their main team.
Becoming a Starter
Aitor joined the main team for the 1997-98 season and quickly became a regular starter. Even in his second professional season, he played 26 games. During that time, he often played as a left-back because the usual player, Agustín Aranzábal, was injured for a long time. Real Sociedad finished third in the league that season.
Team Captain and Runner-Up Season
Aitor later became the captain of Real Sociedad. In the 2002-03 season, he played almost every game. That year, Real Sociedad had a fantastic season and finished second in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league.
Later Career and Retirement
In July 2007, Aitor moved to UD Almería, a team that had just moved up to a higher league. He didn't play much during the 2007-08 season, and he left the club afterward. On March 18, 2009, he joined SD Eibar, a team in Spain's second division (Segunda División). He played for them until the end of the 2008-09 season. After Eibar was relegated to a lower league, Aitor decided to retire from football at nearly 34 years old.
Playing for Spain
Aitor López Rekarte played one game for the Spanish national team. This was a friendly match against Scotland on September 3, 2004. The game ended in a 1-1 draw in Valencia. Before that, he helped Spain's under-21 team win the 1998 UEFA European Championship.
Family Life
Aitor López Rekarte has an older brother named Luis. Luis was also a professional footballer and played for Real Sociedad. He was also a right-back and played for the Spanish national team. Aitor's niece, Maitane López, also plays football.
Achievements
Spain U21
See also
In Spanish: Aitor López Rekarte para niños
