Iñaki Lafuente facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Iñaki Lafuente Sancha | ||
| Date of birth | 24 January 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Barakaldo, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1993 | Retuerto | ||
| 1993–1995 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1999 | Bilbao Athletic | 65 | (0) |
| 1995 | → Getxo (loan) | ||
| 1996 | → Sestao (loan) | 20 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | → Elche (loan) | 37 | (0) |
| 1999–2009 | Athletic Bilbao | 128 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → Espanyol (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Sporting Gijón (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Numancia | 25 | (0) |
| Total | 293 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 2006–2007 | Basque Country | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Iñaki Lafuente Sancha, born on January 24, 1976, is a former Spanish football player. He was a professional goalkeeper. Iñaki played in 146 matches in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league. He spent most of his career with Athletic Bilbao. He also played for Espanyol and Sporting de Gijón in La Liga.
Contents
Iñaki Lafuente's Football Journey
Iñaki Lafuente was born in Barakaldo, a town in Biscay, Spain. He learned to play football at Lezama. This is the famous youth academy of Athletic Bilbao.
Starting His Career
Iñaki joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system. Before playing for the main team, he was loaned to other clubs. He played for smaller teams in the Basque Country. He also played for Elche CF on loan.
Playing for Athletic Bilbao
Iñaki made his first team debut for Athletic Bilbao in the 1999–2000 season. He became an important player for the team. He often competed for the starting goalkeeper spot. In the 2000–01 season, he played in 36 games. The next season, he played in 30 games.
Loan Spells and Later Career
In 2007, Iñaki was loaned to RCD Espanyol. He was a backup goalkeeper there. When the main goalkeeper left for a tournament, Iñaki became the starter. However, he got injured in his second game.
In 2008, Iñaki returned to Athletic Bilbao. He was the third-choice goalkeeper at this time. In January 2009, he was loaned to Sporting de Gijón. This happened because their main goalkeeper was injured. His first game for Sporting Gijón was a tough one.
Retirement from Football
Iñaki left Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2009. He had been with the club for 16 years. At 33 years old, he joined CD Numancia. He played there for two years, mostly as a backup. After that, he retired from professional football.
See also
- In Spanish: Iñaki Lafuente para niños
