Unai Bustinza
Full nameUnai Bustinza Martínez[1]
Birth date2 February 1992 (age 34)[1]
Birth placeBilbao, Spain[1]
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
PositionRight-back
Youthyears 12001–2002
Youthclubs 1Santutxu
Youthyears 22002–2011
Youthclubs 2Athletic Bilbao
Years 12010–2011
Clubs 1Basconia
Caps 128
Goals 12
Years 22011–2014
Clubs 2Bilbao Athletic
Caps 283
Goals 27
Years 32014–2016
Clubs 3Athletic Bilbao
Caps 32
Goals 30
Years 42015–2016
Clubs 4→ Leganés (loan)
Caps 415
Goals 40
Years 52016–2022
Clubs 5Leganés
Caps 5130
Goals 52
Years 62022–2023
Clubs 6Málaga
Caps 610
Goals 60
Years 72024
Clubs 7Amorebieta
Caps 717
Goals 71
Nationalyears 12019
Nationalteam 1Basque Country
Nationalcaps 11
Nationalgoals 10
Club-update8 June 2024

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

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 club's farm team in the 2010–11 season, in the Tercera División.[2]

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.[3]

On 15 July 2014, Bustinza was promoted to the Basques' main squad in La Liga.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6] Later that month, he played the full 90 minutes in the final of the Copa del Rey against FC Barcelona, a 3–1 loss.[7]

Leganés

On 22 July 2015, Bustinza was loaned to Segunda División side CD Leganés in a season-long deal.[8][9] The following 18 July, having contributed 1,134 minutes in all competitions to a top-flight promotion, he signed a permanent three-year contract after cutting ties with Athletic.[10][11]

Bustinza scored the first of two goals in the Spanish top tier on 21 February 2018, but in a 1–3 home defeat to Real Madrid.[12][13]

Málaga

On 2 July 2022, free agent Bustinza joined second-tier Málaga CF on a three-year deal.[14] On 30 June 2023, after suffering relegation, he activated a clause on his contract and left.[15]

Amorebieta

In November 2023, Bustinza started training with SD Amorebieta.[16] On 18 January 2024, he agreed to a deal at the second-division team.[17]

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.[18][19]

References

  1. ^ "Unai Bustinza Martínez". Málaga CF. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Ager Aketxe y Unai Bustinza: un sueño cumplido iniciado en alevines" [Ager Aketxe and Unai Bustinza: a dream fulfilled in alevines] (in Spanish). La Cantera de Lezama. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Cuenca, Nika (15 July 2014). "Bustinza tendrá dorsal en el primer equipo del Athletic" [Bustinza will have a jersey in Athletic's first team] (in Spanish). Diario AS. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  5. ^ López, Jesús Fernando (25 October 2014). "Etxeita da aire al Athletic" [Etxeita gives air to Athletic] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  6. ^ Malagón, Manuel (2 May 2015). "El Atlético llega tarde" [Atlético arrive late] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  7. ^ Siguero, Santiago (30 May 2015). "Messi es el Rey León" [Messi is the Lion King] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Unai Bustinza ya es nuevo futbolista del Leganés" [Unai Bustinza is already a new footballer of Leganés] (in Spanish). Marca. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
  9. ^ Mallo, Juanma (22 July 2015). "Bustinza, cedido al Leganés" [Bustinza, loaned to Leganés] (in Spanish). El Correo. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Bustinza vuelve al Leganés y firma hasta 2019" [Bustinza returns to Leganés and signs until 2019] (in Spanish). CD Leganés. 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  11. ^ González, Raúl (19 July 2016). "Unai Bustinza, el soldado de Butarque" [Unai Bustinza, the soldier of Butarque] (in Spanish). Sphera Sports. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Un gol 'a la bilbaína': cabezazo a ras de suelo de Bustinza ante la tierna mirada de Theo" [Goal 'Bilbao-style': diving header by Bustinza as Theo kindly looks on] (in Spanish). Marca. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  13. ^ "El Real Madrid se impone al Leganés y es tercero en la Liga (1–3)" [Real Madrid best Leganés and are third in League (1–3)] (in Spanish). El País. 21 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Bustinza, leadership and intensity in defence". Málaga CF. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ Guerreiro, Daniel (9 November 2023). "Bustinza se entrena con el Amore" [Bustinza trains with Amore] (in Spanish). Diario AS. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Unai Bustinza, experiencia para la zaga azul" [Unai Bustinza, experience for the blue defence] (in Spanish). SD Amorebieta. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "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.