Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ruiz de Galarreta and the second or maternal family name is Etxeberria.

Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta

Ruiz de Galarreta with Leganés in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta Etxeberria[1]
Date of birth	(1993-08-06) 6 August 1993 (age 31)[1]
Place of birth	Eibar, Spain
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Team information
Current team	Athletic Bilbao
Number	16
Youth career
2003–2011	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011	Basconia	1	(0)
2011–2013	Bilbao Athletic	28	(0)
2011–2016	Athletic Bilbao	3	(0)
2013–2014	→ Mirandés (loan)	11	(1)
2014–2015	→ Zaragoza (loan)	37	(1)
2015–2016	→ Leganés (loan)	20	(1)
2016–2017	Numancia	37	(2)
2017–2018	Barcelona B	27	(1)
2018–2019	Las Palmas	35	(2)
2019–2023	Mallorca	81	(0)
2019–2020	→ Las Palmas (loan)	33	(0)
2023–	Athletic Bilbao	49	(1)
International career
2009	Spain U16	2	(0)
2009	Spain U17	4	(0)
2011	Spain U18	2	(0)
2012	Spain U19	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:16, 13 April 2025 (UTC)

Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta Etxeberria (born 6 August 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays mainly as a central midfielder for Athletic Bilbao.

Club career

Born in Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Ruiz de Galarreta joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 2003, aged 10.^[2] On 14 December 2011, while still considered a youth squad player, he made his debut with the first team, coming on as a substitute for Borja Ekiza in the 88th minute of a 4–2 away loss against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in that season's UEFA Europa League;^[3] during his first year, however, he almost exclusively played with the reserves in the Segunda División B.

Ruiz de Galarreta made his second appearance for the main squad on 2 August 2012, again in the Europa League but now against NK Slaven Belupo (27 minutes played, 3–1 home win).^[4] He played his first La Liga game 17 days later, replacing Gaizka Toquero at half-time of an eventual 3–5 home defeat to Real Betis.^[5]

During a match with the B side against Lleida Esportiu on 21 October 2012, Ruiz de Galarreta ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament on his left knee, being sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.^[6][7] For 2013–14 he was loaned to CD Mirandés of Segunda División,^[8] where in a home game against CD Numancia on 27 October he suffered the same injury.^[9] Previously, on 8 September, he scored his first goal as a senior, the only in the away victory over Real Madrid Castilla.^[10]

The following years, Ruiz de Galarreta played with Real Zaragoza^[11] and CD Leganés on loan,^[12] helping the latter club to achieve a first-ever promotion to the top flight in 2016.^[13] He continued to compete in the second division subsequently, representing Numancia,^[14] FC Barcelona Atlètic and UD Las Palmas.^[15]

On 2 September 2019, Ruiz de Galarreta signed a four-year contract with RCD Mallorca in the top tier, though it was agreed he would remain on loan at Las Palmas for the upcoming season.^[16] He achieved another promotion with the former in 2020–21, contributing 29 appearances to this feat.^[17]

Ruiz de Galarreta returned to his first club Athletic on 7 June 2023, on a two-year deal.^[18]

International career

Ruiz de Galarreta started representing Spain at under-17 level, appearing in 2010 UEFA European Championship qualifiers against Faroe Islands and Romania^[19][20] and two friendlies with Portugal.^[21] He also played for the under-18s and the under-19s.^[22]

Career statistics

As of match played 13 April 2025^[23][24]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Copa del Rey		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bilbao Athletic	2011–12	Segunda División B	25	0	—		—		—		25	0
	2012–13	Segunda División B	3	0	—		—		—		3	0
	Total		28	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	28	0
Athletic Bilbao	2011–12	La Liga	0	0	0	0	1[a]	0	—		1	0
	2012–13	La Liga	3	0	0	0	5[a]	0	—		8	0
	2013–14	La Liga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2014–15	La Liga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2015–16	La Liga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	Total		3	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	9	0
Mirandés (loan)	2013–14	Segunda División	11	1	0	0	—		—		11	1
Zaragoza (loan)	2014–15	Segunda División	37	1	1	0	—		3[b]	0	41	1
Leganés (loan)	2015–16	Segunda División	20	1	2	1	—		—		22	2
Numancia	2016–17	Segunda División	37	2	1	0	—		—		38	2
Barcelona B	2017–18	Segunda División	27	1	—		—		—		27	1
Las Palmas	2018–19	Segunda División	35	2	0	0	—		—		35	2
Mallorca	2020–21	Segunda División	29	0	1	0	—		—		30	0
	2021–22	La Liga	22	0	4	0	—		—		26	0
	2022–23	La Liga	30	0	2	0	—		—		32	0
	Total		81	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	88	0
Las Palmas (loan)	2019–20	Segunda División	33	0	0	0	—		—		33	0
Athletic Bilbao	2023–24	La Liga	29	1	6	0	—		—		35	1
	2024–25	La Liga	20	0	1	0	10[a]	0	0	0	31	0
	Total		49	1	7	0	10	0	0	0	66	1
Career total			361	9	18	1	16	0	3	0	398	10

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

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

• Copa del Rey: 2023–24^[25]

References

1. "Ruiz de Galarreta". Diario AS. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
2. De la Rica, Patxo (4 July 2023). "Galarreta, sobre su llegada al Athletic: "Cuando me avisaron me cambió la cara"" [Galarreta, on his arrival at Athletic: "I got turned upside down when they told me"] (in Spanish). Relevo. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
3. Rodríguez Viñas, Sergio (14 December 2011). "El Athletic se deja ganar (4–2) en los diez últimos minutos ante el Paris Saint Germain" [Athletic allow defeat (4–2) in last ten minutes against Paris Saint Germain]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 July 2023.
4. Redshaw, Dave (3 August 2012). "Athletic overcome Slaven 3–1". Football España. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
5. "Betis fire five in eight-goal thriller". ESPN FC. 19 August 2012. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
6. "Estado de los jugadores" [Injury report] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
7. "Galarreta se rompe el ligamento cruzado anterior" [Galarreta ruptures anterior cruciate ligament]. Marca (in Spanish). 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
8. "Ruiz de Galarreta cedido una temporada al Mirandés" [Ruiz de Galarreta loaned to Mirandés for one season] (in Spanish). Canal Athletic. 5 August 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
9. "La mala suerte se ceba con Galarreta" [Bad luck haunts Galarreta]. Marca (in Spanish). 28 October 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
10. "0–1: El Mirandés se pone líder y saca punta a los problemas del Castilla" [0–1: Mirandés are now leaders and highlight Castilla's problems]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 8 September 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
11. "El Zaragoza hace oficial la llegada de Ruiz de Galarreta y de Rubén González" [Zaragoza confirm arrivals of Ruiz de Galarreta and Rubén González]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 12 August 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
12. "El Leganés logra la cesión de Ruiz de Galarreta" [Leganés get Ruiz de Galarreta loan]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 11 August 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
13. "Leganés y Lezama, una relación estable y duradera" [Leganés and Lezama, stable and lasting relationship]. Estadio Deportivo (in Spanish). 16 August 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
14. "Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, nuevo jugador del C.D Numancia" [Iñigo Ruiz de Galarretea, new player of C.D. Numancia] (in Spanish). CD Numancia. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
15. "Galarreta, traspasado a la UD Las Palmas procedente del FC Barcelona" [Galarreta, transferred to UD Las Palmas from FC Barcelona] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
16. "El RCD Mallorca ficha a Íñigo Ruiz de Galarreta y se queda cedido en la UD Las Palmas" [RCD Mallorca sign Íñigo Ruiz de Galarreta and he remains on loan at UD Las Palmas] (in Spanish). RCD Mallorca. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
17. Román, Carlos (10 January 2023). "Galarreta: ¿destino Bilbao?" [Galarreta: Bilbao-bound?]. Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 July 2023.
18. "Galarreta returns to Athletic Club". Athletic Bilbao. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
19. "España 6 Islas Feroe 0" [Spain 6 Faroe Islands 0]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 16 October 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
20. "La Sub17 cumple el trámite ante Rumanía" [Under17s do their job against Romania]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 October 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
21. "Convocatoria Sub 17 para el doble partido España .vs. Portugal en diciembre" [Under 17 selection for double Spain .vs. Portugal match in December] (in Spanish). Fútbol Balear. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
22. "0–3. Alcácer, Deulofeu y De Tomás firman la victoria de España" [0–3. Alcácer, Deulofeu and De Tomás sign Spanish win]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 29 March 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
23. Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta at Soccerway
24. Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta – UEFA competition record (archive)
25. Reinoso del Real, Mario (7 April 2024). "Athletic 1–1 (4–2) Mallorca, en directo: final de Copa del Rey 2024 | Celebración del Athletic, campeón de Copa" [Athletic 1–1 (4–2) Mallorca, live: 2024 King's Cup final | Celebrations of Athletic, Cup champions]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2024.

External links

• Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta at BDFutbol