Iñigo Pérez

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

Iñigo Pérez

Pérez with Osasuna in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Iñigo Pérez Soto
Date of birth	(1988-01-18) 18 January 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Pamplona, Spain
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Rayo Vallecano (manager)
Youth career
2001–2002	Txantrea
2002–2006	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2007	Basconia	38	(8)
2007–2010	Bilbao Athletic	81	(9)
2009–2014	Athletic Bilbao	33	(1)
2011	→ Huesca (loan)	13	(0)
2013–2014	→ Mallorca (loan)	13	(0)
2014–2018	Numancia	138	(4)
2018–2022	Osasuna	75	(4)
Total		391	(26)
Managerial career
2022–2023	Rayo Vallecano (assistant)
2024–	Rayo Vallecano
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Iñigo Pérez Soto (born 18 January 1988) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder, currently manager of La Liga club Rayo Vallecano.

Playing career

A product of Athletic Bilbao's youth ranks at Lezama, Pérez was born in Pamplona, Navarre, and moved to the reserves in early 2007 although he still spent some more time with Basconia, the farm team. On 28 October 2009, he made his debut for the main squad, starting in a 2–0 Copa del Rey defeat at Rayo Vallecano (4–2 aggregate loss).^[1] He first appeared in La Liga two days later, replacing veteran Pablo Orbaiz in a 1–0 home win against Atlético Madrid.^[2]

Definitely promoted to Athletic's first team for the 2010–11 season, Pérez scored in his first official appearance, a 3–0 home victory over Mallorca, playing the last ten minutes in the place of Iker Muniain.^[3] On 8 March 2011, he was loaned to Huesca of the Segunda División; the winter transfer window had long since closed, but the Royal Spanish Football Federation allowed the move as the Aragonese had just lost David Bauzá to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.^[4]

Pérez appeared much more regularly for the Basques in the 2011–12 campaign under new manager Marcelo Bielsa, playing 40 games in all competitions mainly due to the departure of Orbaiz (loaned to Olympiacos) and the serious knee injury of Carlos Gurpegui.^[5] He spent the first half of 2013–14 on loan at Mallorca, returning on 31 January 2014 due to stress problems.^[6]

On 18 July 2014, Pérez joined second division club Numancia after terminating his contract with Athletic.^[7] On 2 July 2018, he agreed to a four-year deal with Osasuna of the same league, for a €750,000 fee.^[8]

Coaching career

Pérez retired at the end of 2021–22 at the age of 34, having made 85 official appearances during his spell at the El Sadar Stadium.^[9] Subsequently, he joined the coaching staff of his former Athletic teammate Andoni Iraola at Rayo Vallecano.^[10]

Pérez was supposed to move alongside Iraola to AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League in summer 2023; however, this did not happen due to work permit issues.^[11] He returned to the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas – now as a manager in his own right – on 14 February 2024, following Francisco's dismissal.^[12] In his first match four days later, his side drew 1–1 at home to Real Madrid.^[13]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[14]

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bilbao Athletic	2006–07	Segunda División B	2	0	—		—		—		2	0
	2007–08	Segunda División B	11	0	—		—		—		11	0
	2008–09	Segunda División B	37	3	—		—		—		37	3
	2009–10	Segunda División B	31	6	—		—		—		31	6
	Total		81	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	81	9
Athletic Bilbao	2009–10	La Liga	3	0	1	0	1[a]	0	—		5	0
	2010–11	La Liga	3	1	1	0	—		—		4	1
	2011–12	La Liga	22	0	9	0	9[a]	0	—		40	0
	2012–13	La Liga	5	0	0	0	4[a]	1	—		9	1
	2013–14	La Liga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	Total		33	1	11	0	14	1	0	0	58	2
Huesca (loan)	2010–11	Segunda División	13	0	0	0	—		—		13	0
Mallorca (loan)	2013–14	Segunda División	13	0	0	0	—		—		13	0
Numancia	2014–15	Segunda División	35	0	2	0	—		—		37	0
	2015–16	Segunda División	26	1	1	0	—		—		27	1
	2016–17	Segunda División	39	1	1	0	—		—		40	1
	2017–18	Segunda División	38	2	3	0	—		4[b]	1	45	3
	Total		138	4	7	0	0	0	4	1	149	5
Osasuna	2018–19	Segunda División	21	1	1	0	—		—		22	1
	2019–20	La Liga	22	2	4	1	—		—		26	3
	2020–21	La Liga	22	0	3	0	—		—		25	0
	2021–22	La Liga	10	1	2	0	—		—		12	1
	Total		75	4	10	1	0	0	0	0	85	5
Career total			353	18	28	1	14	1	4	1	399	21

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
2. Appearances in La Liga play-offs

Managerial statistics

As of 14 December 2024

Managerial record by team and tenure

Team	Nat	From	To	Record								Ref
				G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %
Rayo Vallecano		14 February 2024	Present	32	10	10	12	34	37	−3	031.25	[15]
Total				32	10	10	12	34	37	−3	031.25	—

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

• Copa del Rey runner-up: 2011–12^[14]
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2011–12^[14]

Osasuna

• Segunda División: 2018–19^[14]

References

1. El Rayo deja contra las cuerdas al subcampeón (Rayo leave vice-champions against the ropes); Marca, 28 October 2009 (in Spanish)
2. 1–0. Javi Martínez decide el duelo de deprimidos entre Athletic y Atlético (1–0. Javi Martínez decides duel of the doldrums between Athletic and Atlético); Público, 31 October 2009 (in Spanish)
3. Lopez luck aids Bilbao Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 21 September 2010
4. Íñigo Pérez llega al Huesca cedido por el Athletic (Íñigo Pérez arrives at Huesca on loan from Athletic); Marca, 8 March 2011 (in Spanish)
5. Iñigo Pérez tarda siete años en volver a Primera tras una carrera de obstáculos (Iñigo Pérez returns to Primera after seven years following hurdle dash); El País, 28 October 2019 (in Spanish)
6. Iñigo Pérez regresa al Athletic por un "cuadro de estrés" (Iñigo Pérez returns to Athletic for "stress condition"); Diario AS, 31 January 2014 (in Spanish)
7. Iñigo Pérez ya es nuevo jugador del Numancia (Iñigo Pérez already is the new player of Numancia); Marca, 18 July 2014 (in Spanish)
8. El Club Atlético Osasuna ficha a Iñigo Pérez (Club Atlético Osasuna sign Iñigo Pérez) Archived 2 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine; CA Osasuna, 2 July 2018 (in Spanish)
9. El detalle de Osasuna con los jugadores que no renuevan contrato y se marchan (The Osasuna gesture with the players who will not renew their contracts and leave); El Español, 23 May 2022 (in Spanish)
10. Iñigo Pérez ya ejerce de segundo en el Rayo (Iñigo Pérez already acting as second-in-command at Rayo); Diario de Navarra, 9 July 2022 (in Spanish)
11. Bournemouth’s loss is Liga’s gain as Íñigo Pérez’s Rayo hold Real Madrid; The Guardian, 19 February 2024
12. ¡El Rayo anuncia nuevo entrenador! (Rayo announce new manager!); Mundo Deportivo, 14 February 2024 (in Spanish)
13. Iñigo Pérez: “Estoy orgulloso del partido que hemos hecho” (Iñigo Pérez: "I'm proud of the match we played"); Diario AS, 18 February 2024 (in Spanish)
14. Iñigo Pérez at Soccerway
15. "Matches Iñigo Pérez, 2023–24 season". BDFutbol.

External links

• Iñigo Pérez at Athletic Bilbao
• Iñigo Pérez at BDFutbol