Xabi Etxebarria

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Etxebarria and the second or maternal family name is Larrabide.

Xabi Etxebarria
Etxebarria with Barakaldo in 2017
Personal information
Full name Xabier Etxebarria Larrabide[1]
Date of birth (1987-07-20) 20 July 1987[1]
Place of birth Igorre, Spain
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position Defender
Youth career
2004–2005 Arratia
2005–2006 Indartsu
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Zamudio
2008–2012 Bilbao Athletic 122 (5)
2008 Athletic Bilbao 1 (0)
2014–2015 Amorebieta 36 (4)
2015–2018 Barakaldo 64 (5)
2018–2022 Leioa 56 (1)
Total 279 (15)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Xabier 'Xabi' Etxebarria Larrabide (born 20 July 1987) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Club career

Born in Igorre, Biscay, Etxebarria was signed by Athletic Bilbao from Tercera División side Zamudio SD in 2008, initially brought in to its reserve team. He made his first appearance for the main squad in a 5–0 friendly win against Aviron Bayonnais FC, on 3 September 2008.[2] Three months later, in another exhibition game, he started and scored in the 7–2 victory over amateurs JD Somorrostro.[3]

Etxebarria made his La Liga debut for Athletic on 7 December 2008, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for David López in a 1–1 draw at Racing de Santander.[4] He was released by the Lions in June 2012 after a further three full seasons with the B side in the Segunda División B and only one more competitive match with the first team, a 3–0 away loss against FC Barcelona in the 2009 edition of the Supercopa de España.[5][6]

On 18 July 2014, after two years without a club, Etxebarria joined SD Amorebieta.[7] He continued competing locally in the third tier in the following years, with Barakaldo CF (where he was used as a forward for a period due to an injury crisis)[8][9] and SD Leioa;[10] during his spell at the latter, he was sidelined for one year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[11][12]

Post-retirement

Etxebarria focused on his education after retiring, obtaining a degree in sports management and spending time in England, Chile and Germany.[9]

Personal life

Etxebarria's father, Francisco Javier Echevarría – who was referred to using the Spanish spelling of their surname rather than Basque – was also a footballer. He played as a goalkeeper in the top flight for RCD Espanyol and Real Murcia CF, as well as Sestao Sport (not to be confused with Javier Echevarría Iruarrizaga, who also featured for two of those teams in the same position some years later).[13][14][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Xabi Etxebarria at AS.com (in Spanish)
  2. ^ "Aluvión 0 – Athletic Club 5". Athletic Bilbao. 3 September 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  3. ^ "Victory in Muskiz". Athletic Bilbao. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  4. ^ "Racing 1 – Athletic Club 1". Athletic Bilbao. 7 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  5. ^ Pérez de Rozas, Emilio (23 August 2009). "El Barça se proclama campeón de la Supercopa tras vencer al Athletic (3–0)" [Barça are crowned Supercup champions after beating Athletic (3–0)]. El Periódico (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  6. ^ Sanchidrián, David F. (23 August 2009). "Dos goles de Messi dan al Barça la Supercopa de España" [Two Messi goals give Barça Spanish Supercup]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Eneko Lz de Muniain [sic] y Xabi Etxeberria nuevos jugadores del Amorebieta" [Eneko Lz de Munain and Xabi Etxeberria new players of Amorebieta] (in Spanish). La Segunda B. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  8. ^ "Barakaldo CF: el trabajo de la base de un club grande vizcaíno" [Barakaldo CF: youth system of a great Biscayan club] (in Spanish). La Cantera de Lezama. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Pérez, José Manuel (22 November 2016). "Etxebarría, un zaguero de 'nueve': "No sabía que los delanteros recibieran tantos golpes"" [Etxebarría, a 'number nine' defender: "I didn't know forwards took so many hits"] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  10. ^ Beltrán, Javier (6 October 2020). "La SD Leioa sella la plantilla con un argentino y un coreano" [SD Leioa complete squad with one from Argentina and another from Korea]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  11. ^ Zubieta, Jon (21 August 2019). ""La rodilla estuvo bastante bien", celebra Xabi Etxebarria" ["The knee responded rather well", Xabi Etxebarria celebrates]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  12. ^ Sánchez de Luna, Iñigo (6 November 2019). "«No es fácil entrar en el grupo, pero debo estar preparado», reconoce Etxebarria" ["It's not easy to make this group, but I must be ready", Etxebarria acknowledges]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 January 2025.
  13. ^ "Francisco Javier Echevarría Barrenechea | Sestao SC" (in Spanish). Facebook. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  14. ^ "Javier Echevarría" (in Spanish). El Sitio de Mis Cromos. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
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