Aitor Fernández (footballer, born 1991)

Aitor Fernández Abarisketa (born 3 May 1991) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Levante UD as a goalkeeper.

For the right back born 1986, see Aitor Fernández López.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Abarisketa.
Aitor Fernández
Personal information
Full name Aitor Fernández Abarisketa
Date of birth (1991-05-03) 3 May 1991
Place of birth Arrasate, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Levante
Number 13
Youth career
2003–2008 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2010 Basconia 44 (0)
2010–2013 Bilbao Athletic 30 (0)
2012–2013 → Barakaldo (loan) 21 (0)
2013–2016 Villarreal B 94 (0)
2016–2018 Numancia 70 (0)
2018– Levante 71 (0)
National team‡
2009–2010 Spain U19 6 (0)
2011 Spain U20 3 (0)
2019– Basque Country 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 May 2019

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Arrasate, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Fernández joined Athletic Bilbao's youth setup in 2003, aged 12. He made his senior debut for the farm team CD Basconia in 2008, in Tercera División.

On 29 June 2010, after being promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B, Fernández was called up to the first team for the pre-season as a backup to Gorka Iraizoz and Raúl Fernández.[1] However, he only appeared in 19 matches for the former during the season, mainly due to a hand injury which kept him out for two months,[2][3] and struggled even more in 2011–12 again due to injuries, being overtaken by new signing Jon Ander Serantes.[4][5]

Fernández was loaned to fellow league side Barakaldo CF on 22 July 2012 for one year,[6] but had his contract with the Lions terminated on 28 January 2013.[7] He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Villarreal CF a day later, being assigned to the B team also in the third level.[8]

Numancia

On 6 July 2016, Fernández joined Segunda División club CD Numancia on a two-year contract.[9] He made his professional debut on 4 September 2016, starting in a 1–1 away draw against AD Alcorcón.[10]

Initially a backup to Munir, Fernández profited from national call-ups and became a regular starter, holding that position until the end of the campaign.[11] On 27 February 2017, he extended his link until 2020.[12]

Levante

Fernández agreed to a four-year contract with La Liga side Levante UD on 23 July 2018.[13] His maiden appearance in the competition took place on 2 February 2019, in a 0–0 home draw to Getafe CF.[14]

In November 2019, it was announced that Fernández might miss Levante's next match as he had been called by his local town to work at a polling station for the Spanish general election,[15] however he was later excused from this.[16] He signed a new deal until 2023 the same month,[17] the new release clause being set at €30 million.[18]

International career

Fernández made his debut for the unofficial Basque Country national team on 30 May 2019, in a 0–0 draw away to Panama for which a small, youthful and inexperienced squad was selected.[19][20]

Honours

Spain U19

References
  1. "Pre-season squads 2010–2011". Athletic Bilbao. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  2. "Player injury update". Athletic Bilbao. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  3. "Player injury update". Athletic Bilbao. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  4. "Aitor Fernández' injury update". Athletic Bilbao. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  5. "Surgery of Aitor Fernández". Athletic Bilbao. 5 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  6. "Loan of Aitor Fernández". Athletic Bilbao. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  7. "Aitor Fernández' contract terminated". Athletic Bilbao. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  8. "Movimientos en el mercado de invierno" [Movements in the winter market] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 29 January 2013. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  9. "El C. D. Numancia ficha al guardameta Aitor Fernández" [C. D. Numancia sign goalkeeper Aitor Fernández] (in Spanish). CD Numancia. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  10. "Sus primeros goles no les valen para ganar" [Their first goals do not equal a win]. Marca (in Spanish). 4 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  11. Hernández Casado, Luis (12 June 2018). "Aitor, un portero que suma puntos" [Aitor, a goalkeeper who keeps adding points]. Heraldo de Soria (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  12. "El Numancia prolonga el contrato al guardameta vasco Aitor Fernández" [Numancia extend the contract of Basque goalkeeper Aitor Fernández]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 27 February 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  13. "Levante UD y CD Numancia acuerdan el traspaso de Aitor Fernández" [Levante UD and CD Numancia agree the transfer of Aitor Fernández] (in Spanish). Levante UD. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  14. Pérez, José Ignacio (2 February 2019). "Un empate que sabe a triunfo" [A draw that tastes like a win]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  15. Shread, Joe (8 November 2019). "Levante set to lose goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez because of Spain's parliamentary elections". Sky Sports. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  16. "Aitor Fernández: Levante keeper to play after being excused from election duty". BBC Sport. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  17. "Aitor Fernández renews his contract with Levante UD until 2023". Levante UD. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  18. López Sanfeliu, Álex (13 November 2019). "Aitor Fernández renueva al alza con el Levante" [Aitor Fernández renews on the rise with Levante] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  19. Lekuona, Javier (30 May 2019). "Empate sin goles de la Euskal Selekzioa ante Panamá" [Basque Selection goalless draw against Panama]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  20. "Empate entre la Euskal Selekzioa y Panamá (0–0)" [Draw between Basque Selection and Panama (0–0)] (in Spanish). EITB. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  21. Haslam, Andrew (30 July 2010). "France fight back to claim U19 crown". UEFA. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
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