Joseba Arriaga Dosantos (born 28 July 1982) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a forward.

Joseba Arriaga
Arriaga in 2016
Personal information
Full name Joseba Arriaga Dosantos
Date of birth (1982-07-28) 28 July 1982 (age 42)
Place of birth Ermua, Spain
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1996–1997 Ermua
1997–2000 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Basconia 38 (12)
2001–2002 Bilbao Athletic 30 (15)
2002–2006 Athletic Bilbao 56 (3)
2005–2006Eibar (loan) 28 (1)
2006–2007 Las Palmas 32 (1)
2007–2009 Jaén 69 (20)
2009–2010 Cádiz 5 (0)
2010Alavés (loan) 19 (7)
2010–2011 Ceuta 8 (0)
2011–2012 Guadalajara 18 (0)
2012 Gimnàstic 11 (1)
2013–2014 Barakaldo 28 (12)
2014–2016 Amorebieta 50 (5)
2016–2017 Real Unión 25 (2)
2018 Amorebieta 10 (0)
Total 427 (79)
International career
2002–2003 Spain U21 8 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Formed at Athletic Bilbao, he spent most of his 18-year senior career in Segunda División B, representing a host of clubs. His professional input consisted of 56 La Liga matches (three goals), and 83 appearances in Segunda División for four teams.

Club career

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Born in Ermua, Biscay, Arriaga emerged through Athletic Bilbao's youth system at Lezama, and was promoted to the first team for the 2002–03 season. He made his debut in a friendly against farm team CD Basconia on 26 July 2002, coming on as a substitute for Julen Guerrero. He first appeared in La Liga roughly one month later, playing the full 90 minutes against Real Sociedad in a local derby (4–2 away loss).[1]

Arriaga's importance would drastically diminish the following campaign, being only third or fourth-choice, and eventually had to resume his career in the second division, with SD Eibar and UD Las Palmas. After that, he had two steady years with Real Jaén – but in the third tier.

After a good second year, Arriaga stayed in Andalusia but moved to Cádiz CF, recently returned to division two.[2] He was loaned to Deportivo Alavés one league below in the 2010 winter transfer window after receiving very few opportunities,[3] and alternated between the second and third divisions of Spanish football the following years, with AD Ceuta, CD Guadalajara[4] and Gimnàstic de Tarragona.[5]

Arriaga was released by Catalonia's Gimnàstic in late December 2012.[6] In mid-January 2013 he returned to his native region, signing for lowly Barakaldo CF.[7]

On 22 May 2014, Arriaga moved to neighbouring SD Amorebieta also in the third tier.[8] Four years later, after another spell with that club and also Real Unión, the 36-year-old announced his retirement.[9]

References

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