Javi Martínez facts for kids
.jpg)
Martínez with Bayern Munich in 2019
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 September 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Estella, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder, centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Qatar SC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 88 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Berceo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Logroñés | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Arenas de Ayegui | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Izarra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2005 | Osasuna | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Osasuna B | 32 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Athletic Bilbao | 201 | (22) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2021 | Bayern Munich | 165 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Qatar SC | 49 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Spain U17 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Spain U19 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Spain U21 | 24 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Spain Olympic (O.P.) | 4 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2014 | Spain | 18 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2010 | Basque Country | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Javier "Javi" Martínez Aginaga (born 2 September 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder or central defender for Qatar Stars League club Qatar SC.
Javi Martínez joined Athletic Bilbao in 2006, just before his 18th birthday. He quickly became a key player, appearing in 251 official games over six seasons. In 2012, he moved to Bayern Munich for €40 million. There, he won nine Bundesliga titles in a row. He also won the UEFA Champions League twice, in 2013 and 2020.
Martínez also played for the Spanish national team. He was part of the teams that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Athletic Bilbao
Martínez was born in Estella, Navarre, Spain. He grew up in a nearby village called Ayegui. When he was young, he was also a good basketball player. In the summer of 2006, Athletic Bilbao signed him for €6 million. He came from CA Osasuna, another Spanish club. He had played for their reserve team, CA Osasuna B, scoring three goals in 32 games.
Martínez quickly became a regular player in his first season (2006–07). He showed strong performances. A highlight was scoring two goals against Deportivo de La Coruña in a 2–0 away win. He finished that season with 35 games and three goals. He played almost every game for the next two years. He helped Athletic reach the Copa del Rey final in 2009.
In the 2009–10 season, Martínez was a key midfielder. He played 46 official matches and scored nine goals. He scored a career-best six goals in the league. In the 2011–12 season, under new coach Marcelo Bielsa, he often played as a central defender. He started 50 games in this demanding role. His team reached two finals that season. They lost both the domestic cup final and the Europa League final by 3–0.
Moving to Bayern Munich
Joining the German Giants
On 29 August 2012, Bayern Munich paid €40 million to sign Martínez. This was a record transfer fee in the 50-year history of the Bundesliga. He signed a five-year contract with the German club. Martínez played his first game for Bayern on 2 September, his 24th birthday. He came on as a substitute in a 6–1 home win against VfB Stuttgart. He scored his first goal for Bayern on 24 November. It was a bicycle kick goal in a 5–0 home win over Hannover 96.
Martínez scored his second goal for Bayern on 23 February 2013. It was in a 6–1 win against Werder Bremen. He headed the ball in from a free-kick. After Bayern's 4–0 win over FC Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, he was praised. Many experts said he was key to stopping Barcelona's "tiki-taka" style. In the last game of his first season, he scored the first goal. Bayern came back from being down to win 4–3 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He ended the season with three goals in 43 games.
Winning More Trophies
Martínez started the 2013–14 season on the bench under new coach Pep Guardiola. On 30 August 2013, he played in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup. He came on as a substitute against Chelsea. He scored the equalizer in the last minute of extra time. Bayern then won the trophy in Prague after a penalty shootout. Martínez finished this season with one goal in 34 games.
On 13 August 2014, Martínez injured his left knee ligaments. This happened 30 minutes into the German Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund. He missed most of the 2014–15 season because of this injury. He returned to play on 2 May 2015. He started as a central defender in a 2–0 league win against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He also played in one Bundesliga match and one Champions League match that season.
Martínez played his first game of the 2015–16 season on 19 September 2015. He played 24 minutes in a 3–0 win at SV Darmstadt 98. His first start came as a defender in a 3–0 win against 1.FSV Mainz 05. On 4 October 2015, Martínez played a full 90 minutes for the first time in over a year. This was in a 5–1 win against Borussia Dortmund. On 18 December, he signed a new contract until 2021. He finished the season with one goal in 27 appearances.
Martínez played in the German Super Cup to start the 2016–17 season. He finished the season with two goals in 37 games. He also played in the German Super Cup to start the 2017–18 season. On 31 October 2017, Martínez scored the winning goal against Celtic in the Champions League group stage. This goal helped his team move to the next round. It was his first goal in European competitions. He finished the season with two goals in 37 appearances.
More Titles and a Special Nickname
Martínez started the 2018–19 season by winning the German Super Cup. Bayern beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5–0. On 19 January 2019, he reached 100 Bundesliga wins with Bayern Munich. He did this in his 120th game, breaking a record. On 18 May 2019, Martínez won his seventh Bundesliga title in a row. A week later, he won his fourth DFB-Pokal (German Cup). Bayern beat RB Leipzig 3–0 in the final. He finished the season with four goals in 33 games.
In the 2019–20 season, he played 24 games. Bayern Munich won three major trophies that season. On 24 September 2020, Martínez scored in extra time. This goal won the 2020 UEFA Super Cup for Bayern Munich against Sevilla. It was his second goal in the UEFA Super Cup. He had also scored the winning goal in extra time in the 2013 UEFA Super Cup. Because of this, his teammate Thomas Müller gave him the nickname "Mr. Super Cup." On 4 May 2021, Bayern announced that Martínez would leave the club. His contract was not extended.
Playing for Qatar SC
On 20 June 2021, Martínez signed with Qatar Stars League club Qatar SC.
International Career
When he was 19, Martínez started playing for Spain's under-21 team. He played in the 2009 UEFA European Championships. On 20 May 2010, he was chosen for the senior national team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He made his full debut on 29 May in a friendly game. Spain won 3–2 against Saudi Arabia.
Martínez played once in the World Cup tournament. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Chile. Spain went on to win the tournament. He then returned to the under-21 team for the 2011 European Championships. He was the captain and led Spain to win their third title in that age group.
Martínez also played in one game at UEFA Euro 2012. Spain won this tournament too. He came on as a substitute against the Republic of Ireland. The coach, Vicente del Bosque, called him "a complete player." Martínez was also part of the squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Martínez was chosen for Spain's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played his first game in the tournament against Chile. Spain lost 0–2, which meant they were out of the competition.
How Javi Martínez Plays
Martínez is a very flexible player. He can play as a holding midfielder (who protects the defense) and as a centre-back (a central defender). He can also play as a sweeper in a three-man defense. This is because he is good at passing the ball from the back. His ability to play in different positions helped Bayern Munich change their tactics during games.
Besides being good at tackling and strong in the air, Martínez is also known for his passing skills. He has good technique and can see the game well. He also has a strong mindset. These qualities allow him to play in different midfield roles, including as a deep-lying playmaker (a player who controls the game from deep in midfield).
Personal Life
Javi Martínez has an older brother named Álvaro. Álvaro was also a footballer and played as a defender. He mostly played in lower leagues. Javi has said that Álvaro was a good influence on him when he started his career.
Javi Martínez speaks his native Spanish. He also speaks German and English.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Osasuna B | 2005–06 | Segunda División B | 32 | 3 | — | — | — | 32 | 3 | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2006–07 | La Liga | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 3 | ||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 32 | 5 | 9 | 1 | — | — | 41 | 6 | |||
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 34 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | — | 46 | 9 | ||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 35 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 4 | |||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 31 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 0 | — | 54 | 4 | ||
| Total | 201 | 22 | 25 | 2 | 25 | 2 | — | 251 | 26 | |||
| Bayern Munich | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 27 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 3 |
| 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 25 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 2 | |
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 21 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 4 | |
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Bundesliga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 1 | |
| Total | 165 | 9 | 28 | 1 | 66 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 268 | 14 | ||
| Qatar SC | 2021–22 | Qatar Stars League | 21 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 23 | 4 | |
| 2022–23 | Qatar Stars League | 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Qatar Stars League | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | ||
| Total | 54 | 8 | 5 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 59 | 10 | |||
| Career total | 452 | 42 | 58 | 5 | 91 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 610 | 53 | ||
International
Source:
| Spain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2010 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 | 4 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 18 | 0 |
Honours and Awards
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2008–09, 2011–12
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2011–12
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
- DFB-Pokal: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20
- DFL-Supercup: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
- UEFA Champions League: 2012–13, 2019–20
- UEFA Super Cup: 2013, 2020
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2013
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2007
Spain U21
Spain
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013
Individual
- La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2010
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Javi Martínez para niños
