Garikoitz 'Gari' Uranga Luluaga (born 21 June 1980) is a Spanish former footballer. Usually a left winger, he could also operate as a forward.

Gari Uranga
Personal information
Full name Garikoitz Uranga Luluaga[1]
Date of birth (1980-06-21) 21 June 1980 (age 44)[1]
Place of birth Tolosa, Spain[1]
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+12 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
Tolosa
Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2002 Real Sociedad B 67 (8)
2002–2008 Real Sociedad 116 (9)
2003Eibar (loan) 19 (2)
2003–2004Getafe (loan) 38 (5)
2008–2010 Castellón 52 (6)
Total 292 (30)
International career
2005–2006 Basque Country 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Uranga was born in Tolosa, Gipuzkoa. A product of Basque Country giants Real Sociedad's youth system, he played one game for its first team in 2001–02's La Liga[2] then spent two seasons on loan in the second division, being instrumental to Getafe CF's first ever top-flight promotion.[3]

Over the next four seasons after his return, Uranga would be regularly used by Real Sociedad, for instance going through 33 scoreless matches in 2005–06 and missing several months the following campaign, which ended in relegation after 40 years, due to a knee injury.[4] His father Luis was also club president during that period.[5]

After his contract expired, Uranga signed a two-year deal with CD Castellón also in the second tier.[6][7] He retired in June 2010 at only 30 after the Valencian Community side suffered relegation, having made 225 appearances at the professional level in an eight-year career (22 goals).[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "GARIkoitz URANGA Luluaga". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  2. ^ Isasa, Xabier (8 October 2001). "Otra puñalada al corazón" [Another dagger through the heart]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  3. ^ De la Cuesta, Eneko (9 May 2005). "Jornada especial y de olvidar para Gari" [Special and forgetful day for Gari]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  4. ^ "Gari Uranga, operado con éxito de su rotura de ligamento" [Gari Uranga, successful ligament tear surgery]. El País (in Spanish). 6 February 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Turkey star makes Spanish switch". BBC Sport. 22 May 2000. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  6. ^ Lorenzo, J.I. (19 July 2008). "Gari Uranga ya es del Castellón" [Gari Uranga is already from Castellón]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  7. ^ Gutiérrez, G. (12 May 2010). "Gari Uranga da la cara y explica las causas de su ausencia en los partidos" [Gari Uranga steps up and explains absence from games]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  8. ^ Isasa, Xabier (8 May 2018). "Este chaval tiene que subir porque está a un nivel muy alto'" ["This kid has got to be promoted because his level is very high"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2021.
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