Gari Uranga

Garikoitz 'Gari' Uranga Luluaga (born 21 June 1980) is a Spanish retired footballer. Usually a left winger, he could also operate as a forward.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Uranga and the second or maternal family name is Luluaga.
Gari Uranga
Personal information
Full name Garikoitz Uranga Luluaga
Date of birth (1980-06-21) 21 June 1980
Place of birth Tolosa, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Tolosa
Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2002 Real Sociedad B 67 (8)
2002–2008 Real Sociedad 116 (9)
2003 → Eibar (loan) 19 (2)
2003–2004 → Getafe (loan) 38 (5)
2008–2010 Castellón 52 (6)
Total 292 (30)
National team
2005–2006 Basque Country 3 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Uranga was born in Tolosa. A product of Basque Country giants Real Sociedad's youth system, he played one game for its first team in 2001–02's La Liga then spent two seasons on loan in the second division, being instrumental to Getafe CF's first ever top flight promotion.[1]

During the next four seasons after his return, Uranga would be regularly used by Real Sociedad, for instance going through 33 scoreless matches during 2005–06 and missing several months in the following campaign, which ended in relegation after 40 years, due to a knee injury.[2] His father Luis was also club president during that period.[3]

After his contract expired, Uranga signed a two-year deal with CD Castellón also in the second level.[4][5] He retired in June 2010 at only 30 after the Valencian Community side suffered relegation, having appeared in 225 games both major levels of Spanish football combined during his eight-year professional career (22 goals).

References
  1. Jornada especial y de olvidar para Gari (Special and forgetful day for Gari); Mundo Deportivo, 9 May 2005 (in Spanish)
  2. Gari Uranga, operado con éxito de su rotura de ligamento (Gari Uranga, successful ligament tear surgery); El País, 6 February 2007 (in Spanish)
  3. Turkey star makes Spanish switch; BBC Sport, 22 May 2000
  4. Gari Uranga ya es del Castellón (Gari Uranga is already from Castellón); Mundo Deportivo, 19 July 2008 (in Spanish)
  5. Gari Uranga da la cara y explica las causas de su ausencia en los partidos (Gari Uranga steps up and explains absence from games); Las Provincias, 12 May 2010 (in Spanish)
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