Borja Ekiza

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ekiza and the second or maternal family name is Imaz.
Borja Ekiza
Ekiza in 2016
Personal information
Full name Borja Ekiza Imaz
Date of birth (1988-03-06) 6 March 1988 (age 36)[1]
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain[1]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
2001–2002 Txantrea
2002–2006 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Basconia 41 (0)
2008–2011 Bilbao Athletic 36 (1)
2011–2014 Athletic Bilbao 67 (0)
2014–2016 Eibar 15 (0)
2016–2017 Zirka 10 (1)
2017–2018 Omonia 6 (1)
2018–2019 Enosis Neon 1 (0)
2021–2022 Txantrea 14 (0)
Total 190 (3)
International career
2011–2013 Basque Country 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:51, 14 July 2022 (UTC)

Borja Ekiza Imaz (born 6 March 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Pamplona, Ekiza arrived at Athletic Bilbao's youth system at the age of 14, being eligible to represent the Basque through his Navarrese roots. He spent his first two senior seasons with CD Basconia, the club's third team.[2][3]

Subsequently, Ekiza played with the reserves in the Segunda División B, being sparingly used over two years. On 8 January 2011, after a string of injuries to the defensive sector in the first team awarded him with promotion to the main squad,[4] he made his La Liga debut in a 1–1 away draw against Málaga CF, playing the full 90 minutes;[5] he finished his first top-flight campaign established in the starting XI, beating competition from seasoned veterans Fernando Amorebieta, Aitor Ocio and Ustaritz and being booked only once.[6]

Ekiza lost his starting spot to Aymeric Laporte and Carlos Gurpegui in 2013–14 due to repeated injuries,[7] and only appeared once in the league during the season, 37 minutes in a 2–1 win at Real Valladolid.[8] On 31 July 2014, he terminated his contract with the Lions[9] and signed a two-year deal with fellow top-tier side SD Eibar hours later.[10]

Later years

On 21 July 2017, Cypriot First Division club AC Omonia announced the signing of Ekiza from Ukraine's FC Zirka Kropyvnytskyi.[11] Two years later, following a spell in the same country and league with Enosis Neon Paralimni FC, the 31-year-old announced his retirement from football.[7]

In the summer of 2021, after two years of inactivity, Ekiza joined local amateurs UDC Txantrea alongside his former Athletic teammate (youth and senior) Adrien Goñi.[12]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[13]
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Basconia 2006–07 18 0 – – 18 0
2007–08 23 0 – – 23 0
Total 41 0 – – 41 0
Bilbao Athletic 2008–09 14 1 – – 14 1
2009–10 8 0 – – 8 0
2010–11 14 0 – – 14 0
Total 36 1 – – 36 1
Athletic Bilbao 2010–11 21 0 0 0 – 21 0
2011–12 21 0 2 0 8 0 31 0
2012–13 24 0 1 0 3 0 28 0
2013–14 1 0 1 0 – 2 0
Total 67 0 4 0 11 0 82 0
Eibar 2014–15 11 0 2 0 – 13 0
2015–16 4 0 3 1 – 7 1
Total 15 0 5 1 – 20 1
Zirka 2016–17 10 1 1 0 – 11 1
Omonia 2017–18 6 1 0 0 – 6 1
Enosis Neon 2018–19 1 0 0 0 – 1 0
Career total 175 3 10 1 11 0 197 4

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

References

  1. ^ a b c "Borja Ekiza". Eurosport. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  2. ^ Ortuzar, César (28 March 2011). "El telegrama de Borja Ekiza" [Borja Ekiza's telegram]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  3. ^ Bretón, Álvaro (14 October 2011). "El Athletic, con más navarros que Osasuna" [Athletic, with more Navarrese than Osasuna]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  4. ^ San Cristóbal, Ainara (15 March 2013). "El candado de Ekiza" [Ekiza's lock]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Martinez leaves it late for Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 8 January 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  6. ^ "Ekiza y Muniain, satisfechos de estar en el 'once' revelación de la UEFA" [Ekiza and Muniain, pleased to be in UEFA's newcomers 'XI']. Marca (in Spanish). 2 June 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  7. ^ a b Ugalde, Iñaki (19 September 2019). ""He dejado el fútbol profesional"" ["I've left professional football"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Ekiza: "No contemplo en absoluto salir en el mercado de invierno"" [Ekiza: "I'm not considering leaving in the winter market at all"]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 November 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  9. ^ "Rescisión del contrato de Borja Ekiza" [Borja Ekiza's contract termination] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 31 July 2014. Archived from the original on 7 November 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  10. ^ "Borja Ekiza nuevo fichaje del Eibar" [Borja Ekiza new signing of Eibar] (in Spanish). SD Eibar. 31 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 August 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Ποδοσφαιριστής της ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑΣ ο Borja Ekiza" [Borja Ekiza a footballer of OMONIA] (in Greek). AC Omonia. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  12. ^ Beltrán, Javier (26 August 2021). "Ekiza y Adrien Goñi cierran el círculo en La Txantrea" [Ekiza and Adrien Goñi complete cycle at La Txantrea]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  13. ^ Borja Ekiza at Soccerway
  14. ^ Lowe, Sid (25 May 2012). "Barcelona end Guardiola era with Copa del Rey win over Athletic Bilbao". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  15. ^ Henson, Mike (9 May 2012). "Atl Madrid 3–0 Athletic Bilbao". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 October 2018.