Eñaut Zubikarai

Eñaut Zubikarai

Zubikarai with Real Sociedad in 2014
Personal information
Full name Eñaut Zubikarai Goñi
Date of birth (1984-02-26) 26 February 1984
Place of birth Ondarroa, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Auckland City
Number 1
Youth career
Aurrerá Ondarroa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2008 Real Sociedad B 71 (0)
2005–2006 → Eibar (loan) 1 (0)
2008–2015 Real Sociedad 46 (0)
2016 Tondela 5 (0)
2016– Auckland City 5 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 November 2016.


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Zubikarai and the second or maternal family name is Goñi.

Eñaut Zubikarai Goñi (born 26 February 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for New Zealand club Auckland City FC as a goalkeeper.

Football career

Born in Ondarroa, Biscay, Zubikarai joined Real Sociedad in 2003 at age 19, being assigned to the B-team in Segunda División B. For the 2005–06 season he was loaned to Basque neighbours SD Eibar, but appeared in only one game after suffering a shoulder injury (he suffered another after having returned to his parent club) and also suffered relegation from Segunda División, which triggered thoughts of an early retirement.[1]

After Asier Riesgo moved to Recreativo de Huelva, Zubikarai was definitely promoted to the main squad but, after the former returned from his loan, both battled for second-choice status during the 2009–10 campaign.[2][3] The latter contributed with 12 games as the Txuriurdin returned to La Liga, after a three-year absence.

Zubikarai made his debut in the top flight on 10 April 2012 at the age of 28, in a 1–1 home draw against Real Betis.[4] He continued to act as understudy to Claudio Bravo for the duration of his spell,[5] but was Real Sociedad's goalkeeper in the Copa del Rey, notably helping to a semifinal run in 2013–14.[6]

After the Chilean's departure to FC Barcelona in the 2014 summer, Zubikarai became the starter. However, shortly after conceding four goals in an away fixture against Villarreal CF in December,[7] he lost his position to Gerónimo Rulli.

Zubikarai was released by Real Sociedad on 30 June 2015, after the expiration of his contract.[8] On 20 January of the following year, after several months without a club, he signed a five-month deal with C.D. Tondela from Portugal.[9]

Personal life

In the summer of 2011, Hércules CF was on the verge of signing Zubikarai on loan, but pulled out officially on financial grounds, even though it reportedly feared public reaction to its signing of a player whose father, Cándido, was affiliated with terrorist organization ETA, being sentenced to thirty years in 1989 for the murder of two civil guards.[10][11][12]

References

  1. ↑ "Las siete vidas de Zubikarai" [The seven lives of Zubikarai] (in Spanish). El País. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "Riesgo o Zubikarai: debate abierto para la portería" [Riesgo or Zubikarai: open debate in goal] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Riesgo volverá a defender la portería txuri urdin tras la lesión de Bravo y la sanción a Zubikarai" [Riesgo will return to txuri urdin goal after Bravo injury and Zubikarai suspension] (in Spanish). Marca. 14 April 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Un pasito más en la dirección correcta" [One small step further in the right direction] (in Spanish). Marca. 10 April 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "Claudio Bravo: Tenemos mucha confianza en Zubikarai" [Claudio Bravo: We have total confidence in Zubikarai] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "No me sorprende la actuación en Copa de Zubikarai" [I am not surprised with Zubikarai's Cup performance] (in Spanish). Diario Vasco. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "La Real Sociedad se diluye en Villarreal" [Real Sociedad comes undone in Villarreal] (in Spanish). Diario Vasco. 7 December 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "Agradecimiento a Dani Estrada y Eñaut Zubikarai" [Thanks to Dani Estrada and Eñaut Zubikarai] (in Spanish). Real Sociedad. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Guarda-redes Eñaut Zubikarai assina pelo Tondela" [Goalkeeper Eñaut Zubikarai signs with Tondela] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "El padre del portero de la Real Sociedad está en prisión por participar en el asesinato de dos guardias civiles" [Real Sociedad goalkeeper's father is in prison for taking part in murder of two civil guards] (in Spanish). Periodista Digital. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  11. ↑ "El Hércules no ficha a un portero de la Real Sociedad por el vínculo de su padre con ETA" [Hércules does not sign Real Sociedad goalkeeper as father has ties with ETA] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  12. ↑ "La accidentada vida de Zubikarai" [Zubikarai's rocky life] (in Spanish). El País. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
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