Pablo Orbaiz

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Orbaiz and the second or maternal family name is Lesaka.
Pablo Orbaiz
Orbaiz as an Athletic Bilbao player (2008)
Personal information
Full name Pablo Orbaiz Lesaka[1]
Date of birth (1979-02-06) 6 February 1979 (age 46)[1]
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain[1]
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1985–1996 Osasuna[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Osasuna B 27 (2)
1996–2000 Osasuna 69 (2)
2000–2012 Athletic Bilbao 263 (10)
2011–2012 → Olympiacos (loan) 24 (1)
2012–2013 Rubin Kazan 23 (0)
2013–2015 Valle de Egüés ? (3)
Total 406+ (18)
International career
1997 Spain U17 5 (0)
1996–1998 Spain U18 15 (0)
1998–1999 Spain U20 12 (0)
1999–2001 Spain U21 14 (0)
2002–2005 Spain 4 (0)
2005 Navarre 1 (0)
2005–2007 Basque Country 3 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Spain
Men's football
FIFA World Youth Championship
Winner 1999 Nigeria
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pablo Orbaiz Lesaka (born 6 February 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

After starting out at Osasuna, he went on to play 11 years in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao,[3] appearing in 318 competitive matches and scoring 13 goals.[4]

Club career

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Osasuna and Athletic

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Born in Pamplona, Orbaiz began his career at his hometown club CA Osasuna,[2] exclusively playing in the Segunda División with the team. He contributed 29 appearances and one goal in his final season, 1999–2000, as the Navarrese returned to La Liga after a six-year absence.[5]

In summer 2000, Orbaiz signed for neighbours Athletic Bilbao, where he was a very important midfield element from the start; in the 2004–05 campaign he played 35 league matches and scored three goals, adding eight appearances in the UEFA Cup. However, he also suffered serious knee injuries in 2002–03 and 2006–07.[6][7]

In the 2009–10 season, Orbaiz continued to be first-choice when healthy. However, during one month (February–March 2010), he was sent off twice for dangerous challenges – both of which resulted in two-match bans – at Villarreal CF (2–1 loss)[8] and at home against Getafe CF (2–2, he also scored the opener in the latter game).[9][10]

For the following campaign, Orbaiz was promoted to team captain after the departures of Joseba Etxeberria and Francisco Yeste.[11]

Later career

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In late August 2011, after another season of regular use by manager Joaquín Caparrós – 26 games, 1,675 minutes – as Athletic once again qualified for the Europa League, the 32-year-old Orbaiz was loaned to Olympiacos F.C. in Greece, joining a host of compatriots at the Piraeus side including manager Ernesto Valverde.[12][13] He won the domestic double[14] and was able to realise his ambition of playing in the UEFA Champions League, making four group-stage appearances.[15][3]

Orbaiz was subsequently released by Bilbao, signing a one-year contract with FC Rubin Kazan and reuniting with countryman and former Olympiacos teammate Iván Marcano.[16] He retired in June 2015 at age 36, following a spell with amateurs CD Valle de Egüés.[17]

International career

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Orbaiz made his debut with Spain on 21 August 2002 in a testimonial match for Ferenc Puskás against Hungary,[18] representing the nation on a further three occasions.[19] Previously, he helped the under-20s to win the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.[20][21]

Honours

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Athletic Bilbao

Olympiacos

Spain U20

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Pablo Orbaiz at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b Ciordia, Fernando (9 April 2009). "A Orbaiz e Iraizoz sí les gusta el Reyno" [Orbaiz and Iraizoz sure do like Reyno]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  3. ^ a b Hernández, Marta (1 September 2011). "Orbaiz: "Jugar la Champions es un sueño para mí"" [Orbaiz: "To play in the Champions League is a dream for me"]. Deia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  4. ^ Basic, Robert (6 March 2016). "Orbaiz: «Para trabajar en el Athletic hay que estar preparado»" [Orbaiz: "To work at Athletic one has to be ready"]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  5. ^ Sanz, Alberto (4 June 2020). "Lotina, Cruchaga, Orbaiz, Trzeciak, Mateo y Alfredo reviven el ascenso del año 2000" [Lotina, Cruchaga, Orbaiz, Trzeciak, Mateo and Alfredo relive promotion of the year 2000] (in Spanish). Cadena COPE. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  6. ^ Acedo, Francisco (9 January 2003). "Orbaiz out for season". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  7. ^ Acedo, Francisco (19 October 2006). "Orbaiz blow for Bilbao". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  8. ^ "Drama as Villarreal defeat Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 13 February 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  9. ^ "Leon strikes late". ESPN Soccernet. 20 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Dos partidos a Orbaiz y uno a Miguel Torres" [Two games for Orbaiz and one for Miguel Torres]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 23 March 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Athletic Club has a new captain". The Offside. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Pablo Orbaiz loaned to Olympiacos". Athletic Bilbao. 30 August 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Olympiacos injuries no excuse for Valverde". UEFA. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  14. ^ a b c "El Olympiacos le tiende la mano a Orbaiz para seguir" [Olympiacos hold out their hand to Orbaiz for him to continue] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  15. ^ "La Champions League lejos de los focos" [The Champions League away from the spotlight]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 September 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Rubin reel in midfielders Töre and Orbaiz". UEFA. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  17. ^ Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier (26 August 2018). "Pablo Orbaiz: «Jugar en Tercera es una de las cosas que más me ha llenado»" [Pablo Orbaiz: "Playing in Tercera is one of the things that filled me the most"]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  18. ^ Besa, Ramón (22 August 2002). "Poca luz para tanto estreno" [Too little light for so many premieres]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  19. ^ "Un grupo de jóvenes talentos que sería la base de la España campeona" [A group of young talents that could be the foundation of champions Spain]. El Correo (in Spanish). 23 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  20. ^ a b García, Miguel Ángel (17 April 2009). "Qué fue de los campeones del mundo sub20" [What happened to the under-20 world champions]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  21. ^ Díez, Óscar (1 May 2014). "Campeonato del Mundo sub'20 1999 (III): España se corona en Nigeria" [1999 Under'20 World Cup (III): Spain crowned in Nigeria] (in Spanish). Cuadernos de Fútbol. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  22. ^ Melero, Delfín (13 May 2009). "El Barça se corona por aplastamiento" [Barça crowned through crushing]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 April 2025.
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