Josu Sarriegi

Josu Sarriegi
	Sarriegi (second from left) in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Josu Sarriegi Zumarraga
Date of birth	19 January 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Lazkao, Spain
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Youth career
1994–1997	Lazkao
Senior career*
Years	Team
1997–1998	Lazkao
1998–1999	Beasain
1999–2004	Alavés B
2000–2006	Alavés
2002–2003	→ Eibar (loan)
2006–2007	Athletic Bilbao
2007–2012	Panathinaikos
Total
International career
2006–2007	Basque Country
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Josu Sarriegi Zumarraga (born 19 January 1979) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central defender.

In his country he played professionally with Alavés, Eibar and Athletic Bilbao, appearing in 71 La Liga games over four seasons. He added 78 matches in Segunda División (five goals in total).

From 2007 until his retirement, Sarriegi represented Panathinaikos of Greece.

Club career[edit]

Sarriegi was born in Lazkao, Gipuzkoa. After having first featured professionally for modest and amateur Basque clubs, he signed for Deportivo Alavés in 1999, making his first-team debut on 18 February 2001 in a 1–0 away win against CA Osasuna.^[1]

After a loan with neighbours SD Eibar in the second division,^[2] Sarriegi renewed his contract for a further three years,^[3] then played 28 games in the 2004–05 season as Alavés returned to La Liga after two years of absence. In the following campaign he was also first choice, but his team was relegated again.^[4]

Having missed only two league matches with another Basque side, Athletic Bilbao, in 2006–07, Sarriegi joined Greece's Panathinaikos F.C. in August 2007.^[5] On 26 November of the following year he scored the winning goal for the Athens club as it defeated Inter Milan 1–0 at the San Siro, in a UEFA Champions League group stage fixture.^[6]

On 9 July 2010, after appearing regularly over the course of three years, the 31-year-old Sarriegi extended his contract for a further two seasons.^[7] The following year, after the departures of Djibril Cissé and Gilberto Silva, he was voted by his teammates as the new captain.

References[edit]

^ Victoria inteligente (Smart win); Mundo Deportivo, 19 February 2001 (in Spanish)
^ El valor de la cantera alavesista (The worth of Alavés' youth system); El Correo, 12 July 2009 (in Spanish)
^ Josu Sarriegi continuará tres años más en Vitoria (Josu Sarriegi will continue a further three years in Vitoria); Diario AS, 30 July 2004 (in Spanish)
^ «En el Alavés me he sentido especial» ("I felt special at Alavés"); El Correo, 9 June 2006 (in Spanish)
^ Sarriegi se marcha al Panathinaikos (Sarriegi goes to Panathinaikos) Archived 7 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Marca, 10 August 2007 (in Spanish)
^ Inter progress despite Panathinaikos loss; UEFA, 26 November 2008
^ Ανανέωσε ο Σαριέγκι (Sarriegi renewed); Gazzetta, 9 July 2010 (in Greek)

External links[edit]

[1] Victoria inteligente (Smart win); Mundo Deportivo, 19 February 2001 (in Spanish)

[2] El valor de la cantera alavesista (The worth of Alavés' youth system); El Correo, 12 July 2009 (in Spanish)

[3] Josu Sarriegi continuará tres años más en Vitoria (Josu Sarriegi will continue a further three years in Vitoria); Diario AS, 30 July 2004 (in Spanish)

[4] «En el Alavés me he sentido especial» ("I felt special at Alavés"); El Correo, 9 June 2006 (in Spanish)

[5] Sarriegi se marcha al Panathinaikos (Sarriegi goes to Panathinaikos) Archived 7 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine; Marca, 10 August 2007 (in Spanish)

[6] Inter progress despite Panathinaikos loss; UEFA, 26 November 2008

[7] Ανανέωσε ο Σαριέγκι (Sarriegi renewed); Gazzetta, 9 July 2010 (in Greek)

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