This season, I’m looking for intrastories related to the day current Athletic players made their debuts. All of them, even now, have had time among the elite like lions, some more, some less. I think there may be attention-grabbing names related to each star’s premiere. The established order is the numbers.
Number ten is from Iker Muniain. The forward, according to Athletic’s official website, made his debut in the red and white team on July 30, 2009. A Thursday. It’s half past nine in the evening. In blue and white, and the game is in San Mamés. UEFA stuff.
This was the previous round of the Europa League of the 2009/2010 season. The one from Txantrea made his debut in San Mamés against Young Boys. Joaquín Caparrós gave him an alternative. Number 27. Replacement. He took the field in the 59th minute to replace Gaizka Toquero. It was a losing debut as Athletic lost 0-1.
Muniain played at the top of the attack, alongside Fernando Llorente, who missed a penalty that day and has now retired. In fact, from the official record of that day, only David López and De Marcos were still active from Athletic, in what was their debut on an Athletic list. Laguardia’s lion debut came a few weeks later.
Young Boys’ goal was scored by Doumbia. The Ivorian will play a few years later, among other teams, for Girona, the current leader of the First Division and the next rival of the rojiblancos. Muniain had another chance to score with a left-footed shot that went wide. At that time, the current Athletic captain was 17 years, seven months and eleven days old. He is the youngest player to debut in rojiblanco’s first team.
First goal as a lion
The following week, in Switzerland, his first goal as a lion would come. He then wore shin guards with a picture of Bart Simpson on them. Navarrese has accumulated 546 official matches for Athletic (the second in history), scoring 73 goals, the last of them on January 26 at Mestalla in the Cup quarterfinal round.
In the rest of the sport, on the day of Muniain’s debut at Athletic, a picture of Iniesta as an aviator was covered in the national circulation of Mundo Deportivo. Titled “Iniesta lethal weapon.” They also pointed out that Ibrahimovic, then in Barcelona, has taken 135 pictures in 300 meters. In addition, Ronclgia signed for Espanyol and Michael Schumacher returned to Formula 1 to drive Massa’s Ferrari at Valencia.
Iker Muniain’s role has changed in the rojiblanco club. For now, Valverde’s numbers and decisions say, he is a substitute. Of the ten league games he played in, seven came from the bench. And there were matches where he didn’t play, or even warm up. The contract expires in June next year.
I think he still has things to contribute to this team and this club, to be honest. He has already told this newspaper that he wants to be a ‘one club man’. I was one of those who thought it was a renovation that wouldn’t be a ‘problem’. I have a feeling there will be more cutting material than I thought. We will see. It won’t be something from another Thursday.
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.
