Imanol García de Albéniz

Not to be confused with Imanol García.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is García de Albéniz and the second or maternal family name is Crecente.

Imanol
Imanol training with Athletic Bilbao in 2022
Personal information
Full name Imanol García de Albéniz Crecente
Date of birth (2000-06-08) 8 June 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Gallarta, Spain
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Left back
Team information
Current team
 Sparta Prague
Number 3
Youth career
Gallarta
2010–2018 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 Basconia 36 (1)
2019–2023 Bilbao Athletic 44 (2)
2021–2022 → Mirandés (loan) 34 (2)
2022–2023 → Eibar (loan) 27 (0)
2023–2024 Athletic Bilbao 9 (0)
2024– Sparta Prague 0 (0)
International career‡
2024– Basque Country[1] 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2024

Imanol García de Albéniz Crecente (born 8 June 2000), sometimes known simply as Imanol, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left back for Czech First League club Sparta Prague.

Career

Imanol was born in Gallarta, Biscay, Basque Country, and joined Athletic Bilbao's Lezama youth academy in 2010 from hometown side CD Gallarta. He made his senior debut with the farm team on 26 August 2018, starting and scoring his team's second in a 2–2 Tercera División home draw against SD Deusto.[2]

Imanol was promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B ahead of the 2019–20 season, and immediately became a regular starter for the side. He renewed his contract with the Lions until 2025 on 5 March 2021,[3] and moved to Segunda División side CD Mirandés on a one-year loan deal on 1 July, along with Iñigo Vicente.[4]

Imanol made his professional debut on 16 August 2021, starting in a 0–0 away draw against Málaga CF.[5] He scored his first professional goal seven days later, netting his team's second in a 2–0 home win over SD Amorebieta.

On 14 July 2022, Imanol was loaned to SD Eibar in the second division for the season.[6] In February 2023, he suffered an Achilles tendon rupture, being sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.[7]

Back to Athletic in July 2023, Imanol was definitely assigned to the first team during the pre-season,[8] and made his La Liga debut for the club as a second-half substitute on the opening matchday of the 2023–24 season, a 2–0 loss to Real Madrid at San Mamés.[9]

On 16 July 2024, Imanol joined Czech First League club Sparta Prague for an undisclosed fee.[10][11]

Career statistics

As of match played 10 August 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Basconia 2018–19 Tercera Federación 36 1 — — — 36 1
Bilbao Athletic 2019–20 Segunda División B 20 1 — — 1[a] 0 21 1
2020–21 Segunda División B 24 1 — — 2[a] 0 26 1
Total 44 2 — — 3 0 47 2
Mirandés (loan) 2021–22 Segunda División 34 2 0 0 — — 34 2
Eibar (loan) 2022–23 Segunda División 27 0 1 0 — — 28 0
Athletic Bilbao 2023–24 La Liga 9 0 1 0 — — 10 0
Sparta Prague 2024–25 Czech First League 1 0 0 0 2[b] 0 — 3 0
Career total 151 5 2 0 2 0 3 0 158 5
  1. ^ a b Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

References

  1. ^ "Djaló conquista San Mamés y Bielsa la lía" [Djaló conquers San Mamés and Bielsa the mess] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Basconia 2–2 Deusto" (in Spanish). La Cantera de Lezama. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Renovación de Imanol García de Albéniz hasta 2025" [Renewal of Imanol García de Albéniz until 2025]. Athletic Bilbao. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Iñigo Vicente and Imanol loaned to CD Mirandés". Athletic Bilbao. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  5. ^ "El Málaga dominó en la primera parte y el Mirandés, en la segunda" [Málaga dominated in the first half and Mirandés, in the second] (in Spanish). Marca. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Imanol García de Albéniz loaned to SD Eibar". Athletic Bilbao. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  7. ^ "La grave lesión de Imanol condiciona el plan del Athletic para el curso 23/24" [The serious injury of Imanol conditions the plan of Athletic for the 23/24 campaign] (in Spanish). Marca. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Movimiento significativo en el Athletic: convence a Ernesto Valverde" [Significant movement at Athletic: he convinces Ernesto Valverde] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  9. ^ ""El sueño que tenía de pequeño de jugar en el Athletic se ha cumplido"" ["The dream I had as a child of playing for Athletic has come true"] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Imanol García de Albéniz". sparta.cz. Sparta Praha. 16 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  11. ^ Oyarzabal, Eduardo (16 July 2024). "Imanol García de Albéniz, al Sparta Praga" [Imanol García de Albéniz to Sparta Prague]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  12. ^ Real, Mario Reinoso del (7 April 2024). "Athletic 1-1 (4-2) Mallorca, en directo: final de Copa del Rey 2024 | Celebración del Athletic, campeón de Copa". Diario AS.


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