Mikel Oyarzabal

Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte (born 21 April 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger or forward for Real Sociedad and the Spain national team.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Oyarzabal and the second or maternal family name is Ugarte.
Mikel Oyarzabal
Oyarzabal with Spain in 2019
Personal information
Full name Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte
Date of birth (1997-04-21) 21 April 1997
Place of birth Eibar, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger / Forward
Club information
Current team
 Real Sociedad
Number 10
Youth career
Eibar
2011–2015 Real Sociedad
2013–2014 → Eibar (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Real Sociedad B 13 (3)
2015– Real Sociedad 186 (53)
National team‡
2015 Spain U18 2 (0)
2016 Spain U19 4 (0)
2017–2019 Spain U21 25 (8)
2016– Spain 11 (4)
2016– Basque Country 1 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2020

He has spent his entire professional career with Real Sociedad, making over 200 appearances and scoring over 50 goals.

Club career

Born in Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Oyarzabal joined Real Sociedad's youth setup in 2011, aged 14.[2] While still a junior, he made his senior debut with the reserves on 15 November 2014, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–2 away win against SD Amorebieta for the Segunda División B.[3]

On 20 September 2015, Oyarzabal scored his first senior goals, scoring twice in a 5–0 away rout of CD Mensajero.[4] He made his first-team and La Liga debut on 25 October, replacing Carlos Vela in the dying minutes of a 4–0 victory at Levante UD.[5]

Oyarzabal scored his first goal for Real Sociedad on 8 February 2016 in a 5–0 away win over RCD Espanyol.[6] Six days later, shortly after having extended his contract until 2021,[7] he scored two goals to help defeat Granada CF 3–0 at the Anoeta Stadium.[8]

Oyarzabal with Real Sociedad, 2018

On 19 August 2016, Oyarzabal again renewed his contract until 2022.[9] He featured in all 38 league matches over the season,[10] as the San Sebastián-based team came sixth and returned to the UEFA Europa League after a two-year absence.

Oyarzabal made his European debut on 19 October 2017, scoring in a 6–0 thrashing of Macedonia's FK Vardar in the Europa League group stage.[11] His team made it to the last 32, with him scoring an own goal in a 4–3 aggregate loss to FC Red Bull Salzburg;[12] on the domestic front he scored 12 goals,[13] including two in a 5–0 win against Girona FC on 8 April 2018.[14]

On 5 October 2018, Oyarzabal scored his first goals since May of that year, two penalties in a 3–1 away victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.[15] Athletic Bilbao had tried to sign him in the summer transfer window, but he had rejected their approach in favour of signing a new contract with Real Sociedad to run until 2024.[16]

In the 2019–20 Copa del Rey, Oyarzabal scored a penalty in each leg of a 3–1 aggregate defeat of CD Mirandés as his team reached the final for the first time since 1988.[17] On 10 July that year, he achieved his 50th goal for the club in a 3–2 home defeat against Granada,[18] and on 3 October while still 23 he scored a penalty in his 200th match in a 3–0 win over Getafe CF.[19]

International career

Spain
Oyarzabal with Spain under-18s

Oyarzabal represented Spain at under-18,[20] under-19 and under-21 levels.[21] On 17 May 2016, aged 19, he was called up to the full squad for a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.[22] Twelve days later, he replaced Nolito (who had scored) at the hour mark of the 3–1 win.[23]

On 10 June 2019, Oyarzabal scored his first goal, in a 3–0 victory over Sweden in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers.[24]

Basque Country

Oyarzabal has also featured for the unofficial Basque national team, scoring on his debut to cap a 3–1 win over Tunisia at the San Mamés Stadium on 30 December 2016.[25]

Personal life

Oyarzabal combined his early professional career with studying for a Business degree at the University of Deusto.[10]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 27 January 2021.[26]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Sociedad B 2014–15 Segunda División B 50–––50
2015–16 83–––83
Total 133–––133
Real Sociedad 2015–16 La Liga 22620––246
2016–17 38252––434
2017–18 3512206[lower-alpha 1]2–4314
2018–19 371341––4114
2019–20 371072––4412
2020–21 158215[lower-alpha 1]01[lower-alpha 2]12310
Total 184512151121121860
Career total 196532051121122861
  1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España

    International
    As of match played 17 November 2020[27]
    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Spain 201610
    201962
    202042
    Total114

    International goals
    As of 17 November 2020 (Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Oyarzabal goal)[27]
    International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
    No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
    1 10 June 2019Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain2 Sweden3–03–0UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
    2 18 November 2019Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain7 Romania5–05–0
    3 10 October 2020Alfredo Di Stéfano, Madrid, Spain8  Switzerland1–01–02020–21 UEFA Nations League A
    4 17 November 2020La Cartuja, Seville, Spain11 Germany6–06–0

    Honours

    International

    Spain U21

    Individual

    References
    1. "Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte". Real Sociedad. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
    2. Vicente, Álvaro (1 June 2015). "Oiarzabal pide sitio en el primer equipo" [Oiarzabal asks for a place in the first team]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 October 2015.
    3. "Gran triunfo del Sanse en Amorebieta (2–3)" [Great win from Sanse in Amorebieta (2–3)] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. 16 November 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
    4. "El Sanse lo borda en La Palma (0–5)" [Sanse excel in La Palma (0–5)] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. 20 September 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
    5. Ballesteros, Cristian (25 October 2015). "La Real coge aire y deja tocado a Alcaraz" [Real take a breather and leave Alcaraz hurting]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 October 2015.
    6. "Vela and Reyes score in Real Sociedad win". Goal. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
    7. "Mikel Oyarzabal signs new deal with Real Sociedad". ESPN FC. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
    8. "Mikel Oyarzabal double helps Real Sociedad see off Granada". ESPN FC. 14 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
    9. "Agreement to renew Mikel Oyarzabal's contract". Real Sociedad. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
    10. Erkizia, Oier (3 July 2017). "Del Europeo a la biblioteca" [From the European championships to the library]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 July 2018.
    11. G. Gil, Aimara (19 October 2017). "Vardar 0 Real Sociedad 6: resumen, resultado y goles" [Vardar 0 Real Sociedad 6: report, result and goals]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 July 2018.
    12. Mayo, Marc (15 February 2018). "Salzburg battle to draw at Real Sociedad". Marca. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
    13. "Oyarzabal, de récord" [Record-man Oyarzabal] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
    14. "Resounding win". Real Sociedad. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
    15. "Football news – Two penalties give Real Sociedad derby win at Athletic Bilbao". Eurosport. 5 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
    16. "Oyarzabal confident about Real Sociedad contract, mum on Athletic Bilbao". EFE. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
    17. "Real Sociedad beat Mirandes to end 32-year wait for Copa final". BeIN Sports. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
    18. Badallo, Óscar (11 July 2020). "Oyarzabal, gol 50 de txuriurdin y con la élite europea" [Oyarzabal, 50th goal as Txuriurdin and among the European elite]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 October 2020.
    19. "La Real Sociedad castiga al Getafe" [Real Sociedad punish Getafe]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 3 October 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
    20. "Oyarzabal and Zubeldia with Spain's Under-18". Real Sociedad. 9 August 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
    21. "Mikel Oyarzabal, with Spain's Under-19s". Real Sociedad. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
    22. "Mikel Oyarzabal called by Spain's senior side". Real Sociedad. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
    23. Campos, Tomás (29 May 2016). "Nolito endulza un duelo atípico" [Nolito sweetens an atypical duel]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 May 2016.
    24. "Spain 3–0 Sweden". BBC Sport. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
    25. Cuenca, Nika (30 December 2016). "Euskadi gana a Túnez, pero la afición muestra su desánimo" [Basque Country win against Tunisia, but the fans show their disapproval]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 31 July 2018.
    26. "Mikel Oyarzabal". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
    27. "Mikel Oyarzabal". European Football. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
    28. Begley, Emlyn (30 June 2019). "Spain U21 2–1 Germany U21". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
    29. "Germany U21 1–0 Spain U21". BBC Sport. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
    30. "Mikel Oyarzabal named LaLiga Santander Player of the Month for October". La Liga. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
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