Unai Bustinza
Bustinza with Leganés in 2016
Personal information
Full name Unai Bustinza Martínez[1]
Date of birth (1992-02-02) 2 February 1992 (age 32)[1]
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain[1]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
Amorebieta
Youth career
2001–2002 Santutxu
2002–2011 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Basconia 28 (2)
2011–2014 Bilbao Athletic 83 (7)
2014–2016 Athletic Bilbao 2 (0)
2015–2016Leganés (loan) 15 (0)
2016–2022 Leganés 130 (2)
2022–2023 Málaga 10 (0)
2024– Amorebieta 0 (0)
International career
2019 Basque Country 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 08:29, 12 April 2023 (UTC)

Unai Bustinza Martínez (born 2 February 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for SD Amorebieta.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Bustinza joined Athletic Bilbao's prolific youth system in 2002, aged ten. He made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the 2010–11 season, in Tercera División.

In May 2011, Bustinza was promoted to the reserves in the Segunda División B. He appeared regularly for them the following campaigns, scoring a career-best five goals in 2012–13.[2]

On 15 July 2014, Bustinza was promoted to the Basques' main squad in La Liga.[3] He made his debut in the competition on 25 August, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 away win over UD Almería.[4]

Bustinza was handed his first start for the Lions on 2 May 2015, being sent off in the 93rd minute of the 0–0 draw with Atlético Madrid for two bookable offences.[5] Late in the month, he played the full 90 minutes in the final of the Copa del Rey against FC Barcelona, a 3–1 loss.[6]

Leganés

On 22 July 2015, Bustinza was loaned to Segunda División club CD Leganés in a season-long deal.[7] The following 18 July, after achieving top-flight promotion, he signed a permanent three-year contract after cutting ties with Athletic.[8]

Málaga

On 2 July 2022, free agent Bustinza joined second-tier Málaga CF on a three-year deal.[9] On 30 June 2023, after suffering relegation, he activated a clause on his contract and left.[10]

Amorebieta

In November 2023, Bustinza started training with second division side SD Amorebieta,[11] and signed a contract with the club on 18 January 2024.[12]

International career

Bustinza made his debut for the unofficial Basque Country national team in May 2019, in a 0–0 draw away to Panama for which a small, youthful and inexperienced squad was selected.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Unai Bustinza Martínez". Málaga CF. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ Funqueiro, Lucía (24 June 2022). "El Málaga pone el ojo en Bustinza" [Málaga set their sights on Bustinza] (in Spanish). Grada 3. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  3. ^ Bustinza tendrá dorsal en el primer equipo del Athletic (Bustinza will have a jersey in Athletic's first team); Diario AS, 15 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ Etxeita da aire al Athletic (Etxeita gives air to Athletic); Marca, 25 October 2014 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ El Atlético llega tarde (Atlético arrive late); Marca, 2 May 2015 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ Messi es el Rey León (Messi is the Lion King); Marca, 30 May 2015 (in Spanish)
  7. ^ Bustinza, cedido al Leganés (Bustinza, loaned to Leganés); Athletic Bilbao, 22 July 2015 (in Spanish)
  8. ^ Bustinza vuelve al Leganés y firma hasta 2019 (Bustinza returns to Leganés and signs until 2019); CD Leganés, 18 July 2016 (in Spanish)
  9. ^ "Bustinza, leadership and intensity in defence". Málaga CF. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Concluye la vinculación de 18 jugadores con ficha profesional" [Link of 18 players with professional registration ends] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Bustinza se entrena con el Amore" [Bustinza trains with Amore] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Unai Bustinza, experiencia para la zaga azul" [Unai Bustinza, experience for the blue defense] (in Spanish). SD Amorebieta. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  13. ^ Lekuona, Javier (30 May 2019). "Empate sin goles de la Euskal Selekzioa ante Panamá" [Basque Selection goalless draw against Panama] (in Spanish). Diario AS. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Empate entre la Euskal Selekzioa y Panamá (0–0)" [Draw between Basque Selection and Panama (0–0)] (in Spanish). EITB. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2019.