July 11, the start date of the preseason for Real Sociedad, is approaching and with it the chance to see the txuri urdin footballers again, but there are some who have decided to cut their vacations short, come back earlier and reset the account to zero. One of them is Igor Zubeldiawho reappeared yesterday as a surprise in Zubieta and worked out with the foals in Z2, as the first footballer in the first team squad (ignoring a Aihen which is in the process of recovery) to do so. Maybe he wants to get back to his best as soon as possible. And his presence in Zubieta is no small thing. He is believed to have recovered from torn fibers in his femoral biceps which he suffered on May 4, in post-match training at the Anoeta pitch, after Real won against Las Palmas without him, who is suspended. He did not finish the League and is expected to be out for six or eight weeks. Has returned.
It’s your year
At 27 years old, the 2024-2025 season will not be one for Zubeldia, one of the captains. In the most possible march of Le Normand, and the option on the table that a central defender does not come, he has to take stripes and make a step in status and importance in the team. It will go from being just another column to an important load-bearing wall Imanol Alguacil. It’s up to him to do better Pacheco and teach John Martin. It is, in fact, with young lasartearra and Odriozolathe defender with the longest contract, after renewing his contract with Real until 2029 in May 2023.
His 23-24 season was outstanding despite the last three months of the lower level. The performance offered, above all, in the final stage of 2023 is a scandal, which is on par with the best in LaLiga and throughout Europe and participates in the best defense in the group stage of the Champions League, for example. In total, he played 43 games, 42 as a starter and 35 complete, surpassing the 4,000 minute barrier, which was the third most on the team behind only the back. Zubimendi and Remiro.
It will be historic
The importance of Igor Zubeldia It is not only in the present, because it is also starting to make its place in the history of Real Sociedad. It seems like yesterday when he debuted in the first team, but there were seven full seasons with the number ‘5’ and he played a whopping 261 games wearing the txuri urdin, which puts him in 40th place in the club’s history . , as second in the current squad, behind Oyarzabal. If all goes according to plan, he will surpass the impressive number of 300 matches in the same year and enter the top 30, catching Kovacevic, Agirretxe, Bakero, Celayeta, Zurutuza or Mikel GonzálezBesides others.
He will also fight Oyarzabal, Remiro either MerinoIf he stays, the assault on the club’s historic first European place will match its current one Arched with 33. Completed the podium Zamora and Arched with 31, but the Azkoitia native now has 29 in fourth place, which is the most of the current squad. And Real have eight matches guaranteed this year in the new Europa League. A tournament where no one has played more than Zubeldia (counting the UEFA Cup), leading 21, tied with Oyarzabal and Merino.
In short, a difficult, exciting, beautiful and important year awaits a Zubeldia that would take gallons and could make history.
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.
