Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora
Personal information
Full name Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora Astarloa
Date of birth (1983-02-16) 16 February 1983
Place of birth Abadiño, Spain
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1999–2001 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Basconia 40 (1)
2003–2005 Bilbao Athletic 57 (0)
2005–2012 Athletic Bilbao 85 (1)
2011–2012 → Betis (loan) 7 (0)
2013–2014 Dinamo Tbilisi 14 (1)
2014–2015 Arouca 2 (0)
2015 Penafiel 7 (0)
Total 212 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora Astarloa (born 16 February 1983), known simply as Ustaritz, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

Most of his professional career was spent with Athletic Bilbao, for which he appeared in 103 official matches during seven years. In 2013, he won the double with Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Abadiño, Biscay, Lezama graduate Ustaritz made his debut with Athletic Bilbao's first team during the 2005–06 season, taking part in 17 La Liga matches that year. However, he found starting chances in La Liga hard to come in the subsequent years, being mainly restricted to appearances in the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup – in 2007–08 he played a career-best 20 games, but the Basques could only rank in 11th place.[1]

From 2008 to 2011, Ustaritz made a combined 36 league appearances, scoring his first competitive goal for the club on 29 November 2009 in a 4–1 away win against UD Almería.[2][1] In mid-August 2011, he was loaned to fellow league team Real Betis in a season-long move.[3][1]

Ustaritz's contract with Athletic was terminated by mutual consent on 31 August 2012.[4]

Later years

In February 2013, the 30-year-old Ustaritz moved abroad for the first time, signing with FC Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia and sharing teams with several compatriots.[5] He played six games over the remainder of the season as his team won the Premier League, scoring in a 6–1 victory over FC Zestafoni in the last fixture on 18 May. Four days later, a double was secured with a 3–1 defeat of FC Chikhura Sachkhere in the Georgian Cup final, with the player being dismissed late on.[6]

Ustaritz recorded two goals in four games in Dinamo's unsuccessful qualification campaign for the UEFA Champions League in the summer. On 30 January 2014, he returned to the Iberian Peninsula, signing an eighteen-month deal at Primeira Liga club F.C. Arouca.[7] Roughly one year later, after only two appearances – totalling less than five minutes playing time – he switched to another side in the same division, F.C. Penafiel.[8]

Honours

Dinamo Tbilisi

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fernández S., J. Julián (7 January 2014). "Yo jugué en el Real Betis: Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora" [I played for Real Betis: Ustaritz Aldekoaotalora] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  2. ↑ Bilbao chalk up convincing win; ESPN Soccernet, 29 November 2009
  3. ↑ Ustaritz, on loan to Real Betis; Athletic Bilbao, 18 August 2011
  4. ↑ Ustaritz’ contract terminated; Athletic Bilbao, 31 August 2012
  5. ↑ Díaz, José M. (7 February 2013). "Oficial: Dinamo Tbilisi, firma Ustaritz" [Official: Dinamo Tbilisi, Ustaritz signs] (in Spanish). Todo Mercado Web. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 "Ustaritz y Mikel Álvaro logran el doblete en Georgia" [Ustaritz and Mikel Álvaro get double in Georgia] (in Spanish). EITB. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Rosa, Melo (30 January 2014). "Ustaritz reforça defesa do Arouca" [Ustaritz bolsters Arouca's defence]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  8. ↑ "Penafiel confirma Michel e Ustaritz" [Penafiel confirm Michel and Ustaritz] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
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