Luis Prieto Zalbidegoitia

Luis Prieto

Prieto during presentation with Valladolid
Personal information
Full nameLuis Prieto Zalbidegoitia
Date of birth19 February 1979
Place of birthBilbao, Spain
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionDefender
Youth career
1995–1997Arratia
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–1998Baskonia34(1)
1998–2002Bilbao Athletic34(2)
1998–1999→ Barakaldo (loan)27(1)
2000–2002→ Eibar (loan)63(0)
2002–2008Athletic Bilbao134(5)
2008–2010Valladolid48(3)
2010–2011Ponferradina19(0)
2011–2012Alavés23(0)
National team
2003Basque Country2(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Prieto and the second or maternal family name is Zalbidegoitia.

Luis Prieto Zalbidegoitia (born 19 February 1979) is a Spanish retired footballer who played mainly as a central defender.

He amassed La Liga totals of 182 games and eight goals over the course of eight seasons, representing in the competition Athletic Bilbao and Valladolid.

Football career

Prieto was born in Bilbao, Biscay. Coming through the ranks of Athletic Bilbao he spent three seasons on loan at two Basque neighbours before establishing himself in the main squad. His first-team debut came in 2002–03's opening round, a 2–4 away defeat against Real Sociedad.

In the 2005–06 campaign, as Athletic finished 12th in La Liga, Prieto scored four goals in 36 games, notably the deciders (1–0 wins) at RCD Mallorca and with CA Osasuna.[1][2][3][4] After having appeared just three times during 2007–08, he left the Lions and joined fellow top flight club Real Valladolid, on 10 July 2008:[5] a regular starter in his first year, he saw time at central and right defender.

On 31 July 2009 Prieto was involved in a pre-season game against Ipswich Town, played in honour of the late Bobby Robson, who died aged 76 that morning, and scored an own goal in an eventual 1–3 loss to the Championship side.[6] He appeared slightly less in the 2009–10 league campaign, mainly due to the signing in January 2010 of Portuguese Henrique Sereno.[7] On 16 May, he opened the score as Valladolid certified its relegation after three years as they lost 0–4 at eventual champions FC Barcelona.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Athletic Club 3 Real Sociedad 0: An excellent start to the season". Athletic Bilbao. 28 August 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Corominas deja a Clemente con la miel en los labios en su debut" [Corominas leaves Clemente with a bad taste in his debut] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 6 November 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "El Athletic despierta en su isla maldita" [Athletic awakens in cursed island] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 26 November 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "El Athletic se agarra a Primera" [Athletic holds on to Primera] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 26 March 2006. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "El Real Valladolid ficha al central Luis Prieto" [Real Valladolid signs stopper Luis Prieto] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  6. ↑ Town 3 Valladolid 1; Ipswich Town's official website, 31 July 2009
  7. ↑ "Luis Prieto, del campo a la grada" [Luis Prieto, from the pitch to the stands] (in Spanish). El Norte de Castilla. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  8. ↑ Barcelona 4–0 Valladolid; ESPN Soccernet, 16 May 2010

External links