Mikel Loinaz

Mikel Loinaz
Personal information
Full name	Mikel Loinaz Balda
Date of birth	28 March 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth	Andoain, Spain
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Azparren
Senior career*
Years	Team
1986–1988	Real Sociedad B
1986–1993	Real Sociedad
1993–1994	Villarreal
1994–1997	Eibar
1997–1999	Leça
1999–2000	Sabadell
2000–2001	Ontinyent
2001–2004	Santa Eulàlia
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mikel Loinaz Balda (born 28 March 1967) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a forward.

He appeared in 48 La Liga matches for Real Sociedad over six seasons, scoring 12 goals.

Career

Born in Andoain, Gipuzkoa, Loinaz started playing amateur football in France before signing with Real Sociedad in 1986 and being assigned to their reserves.^[2] He made his La Liga debut on 16 November that year when he came on as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win against CA Osasuna,^[3] and scored his first goal on 11 September 1988 to close the 2–1 victory over Real Betis also at the Atotxa Stadium.^[4] Additionally, he netted four times in the 1988–89 edition of the UEFA Cup, helping his team reach the quarter-finals.^[2]

Loinaz took his game to Segunda División after leaving Real in the 1993 off-season, representing Villarreal CF^[2] and SD Eibar.^[5] After two years in Portugal with Leça FC (in both the Primeira and Segunda Liga) he returned to his country, seeing out his career at the age of 37 with Tercera División club Peña Deportiva Santa Eulàlia.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Mikel Loinaz at WorldFootball.net
^ ^a ^b ^c Encinas, Mikel (3 June 2018). "Mitxel Loinaz, el último gran héroe" [Mitxel Loinaz, the last great hero]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ Sáez, Félix (17 November 1986). "2–0: Resolvió la Real en un cuarto de hora" [2–0: Real took care of business in 15 minutes]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ Sáez, Félix (12 September 1988). "Loinaz volvió a dar el triunfo a la Real" [Loinaz gave win to Real again]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ "El fútbol vasco hace 20 años: jugadores-presidentes y leyendas vivas" [Basque football 20 years ago: player-chairmen and living legends] (in Spanish). EITB. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
^ Vidal, Carlos (19 June 2004). "Mikel Loinaz dice adiós a la Peña después de tres años" [Mikel Loinaz says goodbye to Peña after three years]. Periódico de Ibiza (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.