Iker Muniain is the third player in Athletic history with the most official matches played wearing the rojiblanca shirt. The 30-year-old from Navarre finished last season with 535 games, six less than those listed in the box of Txetxu Rojo (541). Iribar continues to be number 1 on the list with 614 crashes.
Muniain made his debut as an Athletic player at the age of 16 years, seven months and 11 days. On July 30, 2009, the Caparrós team faced the Swiss Young Boys at the old Cathedral. The coach from Utrera, with the marker in tow, chose to give the puppy an alternative. Toquero was replaced. The lions lost 0-1, but bounced back a week later in the second leg played in Bern with a goal from Navarre, his first in the elite, included.
Fewer goals, more battles
One of the remarkable facts of Muniain’s journey to the final League was that he finished it without scoring a goal, something that had never happened so far in his fourteen years as an Athletic first-team player. In the Cup, however, he scored two goals.
The most productive campaign for Navarre as a lion in terms of number of matches played was 2011-12, Bielsa’s first on the bench. The current Athletic captain has played a total of 58 games: 33 in the League, nine in the Cup and 16 in the Europa League. This last season he remained at 36 (30 in the League and six in the Cup).
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
