Aritz Aduriz

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Aduriz came from a family keen on sport but more inclined towards surfing, mountaineering and cross-country skiing. He excelled at the latter as a child, finishing runner-up in the junior national championship. Learning to play football on the sand at La Concha beach, he was brought through the ranks of local youth club Antiguoko where he shared teams with future elite players Xabi Alonso, Mikel Arteta and Andoni Iraola, but was not initially picked up by a professional club like his teammates. He became part of the famed Lezama youth system at Athletic Bilbao, although he was already 19 when he arrived from amateurs Aurrerá de Vitoria.

In Their Own Story

On 3 November 2016, Aritz Aduriz etched his name into European history. In a Europa League group stage home fixture against Genk, he scored every single one of Athletic Bilbao's five goals in a 5–3 victory. This feat included three penalties and made him the first player to accomplish such a scoring spree in the competition. Earlier that year, on 24 January 2016, he had netted a bicycle kick to help his team overturn a deficit against Eibar. His impact extended beyond individual brilliance; on 8 February 2015, he scored against Barcelona to complete his century of La Liga goals. In the Supercopa de España final against Barcelona in August 2015, he scored a hat-trick in the first leg and equalized in the return match, securing the trophy—the first of his career. Even at 37, he showed remarkable sportsmanship in January 2018, signaling to the referee that no foul should be awarded during a derby against Eibar after falling while chasing a loose ball.

Reader's Guide

Aduriz made his first-team debut for Athletic Bilbao on 14 September 2002 against Barcelona in a 0–2 home loss. He spent almost three seasons elsewhere (one with Burgos, one and a half at Real Valladolid in the Segunda División) before returning to Athletic in December 2005. He was sold to Mallorca on 23 August 2008, signing a four-year contract, and finished his first year as team top scorer. He moved to Valencia on 14 July 2010 for about €4 million. On 27 June 2012, he rejoined Athletic Bilbao for a fee in the region of €2.5 million, signing for three years. He scored a hat-trick as Athletic won 4–0 against Barcelona in the first leg of the Supercopa de España on 14 August 2015, and equalised in a 1–1 draw in the return match to hand his team the trophy, the first of his career. He announced his retirement as a professional on 20 May 2020.

Did You Know?

• Aduriz scored all five of his team's goals (including three penalties) in a 5–3 Europa League victory over Genk on 3 November 2016, becoming the first player to accomplish this feat in the competition.
• He was the La Liga Player of the Month for March 2016 and again for January 2018.
• Aduriz finished as the top scorer in the Europa League in the 2015–16 season with ten goals, and shared the top scorer honor in the 2017–18 edition with eight goals.
• He scored a bicycle kick in the last minute of the first league fixture of the 2019–20 season to give Athletic Bilbao a 1–0 victory over Barcelona.