Kike Sola

Enrique "Kike" Sola Clemente (Spanish pronunciation: [enˈrike ˈkike ˈsola kleˈmente]; born 25 February 1986) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Sola and the second or maternal family name is Clemente.

Kike Sola
Personal information
Full name Enrique Sola Clemente
Date of birth (1986-02-25) 25 February 1986
Place of birth Cascante, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Aluvión
1998–2003 Athletic Bilbao
2003–2004 Aluvión
2004–2005 Osasuna
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 Osasuna B 61 (17)
2007–2013 Osasuna 91 (22)
2009–2010 → Numancia (loan) 7 (1)
2010 → Levadiakos (loan) 10 (1)
2013–2018 Athletic Bilbao 15 (1)
2016 → Middlesbrough (loan) 2 (0)
2016–2017 → Getafe (loan) 6 (0)
2017 → Numancia (loan) 10 (0)
Total 202 (42)
International career
2008 Spain U21 1 (0)
2011–2012 Basque Country 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

In a 13-year professional career, he amassed La Liga totals of 106 matches and 22 goals over nine seasons, representing Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao in the competition.

Club career

Osasuna

Sola was born in Cascante, Navarre.[1] A product of CA Osasuna's youth system, he made his first-team and La Liga debut on 9 June 2007, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 5–0 away win against Real Betis and scoring twice.[2]

On 16 July 2009, after having appeared rarely in the previous two seasons (also struggling with injuries and loss of form), Sola moved to Segunda División's CD Numancia on a season-long loan, as part of a deal that saw Carlos Aranda move in the opposite direction, permanently. On 18 January of the following year, after a negative experience – even when healthy, he did not make the list of 18 on several occasions – he terminated his contract with the Soria club[3][4] and moved abroad, joining Levadiakos F.C. from Greece until June.[5]

For the 2010–11 campaign, Sola was initially only fourth-choice behind Aranda, Walter Pandiani and newly signed Dejan Lekić, only starting to receive significant playing time after injuries to the first two.[6] On 13 March 2011, in one of his first starts, he netted in a 3–1 home victory over Racing de Santander,[7] and added another the following matchday, scoring from a backheel in a 4–0 defeat of Hércules CF.[8]

Osasuna eventually escaped relegation, and Sola finished as the team's top scorer even though he featured in less than half of the matches.[9] On 11 May 2011 he helped with a brace to a 3–2 home win over Sevilla FC, after his side trailed 2–0 at half-time.[10]

Sola only played seven scoreless games in 2011–12, being troubled by tendinitis problems for several months[11] and eventually undergoing surgery in early March 2012, being sidelined until June.[12] On 25 February 2013, the day of his 27th birthday, he played just 20 minutes after coming from the bench away against Levante UD, but netted the second goal in an eventual 2–0 victory for his seventh of the season.[13]

On 31 March 2013, Sola helped with a brace as Osasuna came from behind to win 3–1 over Real Valladolid at the Estadio José Zorrilla.[14]

Athletic Bilbao

In summer 2013, Sola joined Athletic Bilbao on a five-year contract with a €30 million buyout clause – he had already played youth football with the club, from ages 12 to 17.[15] After spending four months recovering from injury[16] he scored his first goal on 26 January 2014, closing the 5–1 away defeat of former side Osasuna.[17]

Sola played sparingly for the Lions, remaining an unused substitute as they lost the 2015 final of the Copa del Rey to FC Barcelona. Against the same opponent, in that year's Supercopa de España, he came in the 80th minute of the second leg at the Camp Nou and, within seven minutes was given a red card for a foul on Javier Mascherano; his team nonetheless won 5–1 on aggregate for his first major honour.[18]

In December 2015, Sola scored in each leg of Athletic's 8–0 aggregate win over Real Balompédica Linense in the domestic cup.[19][20] The following 15 January he moved abroad for a second time, joining English Football League Championship leaders Middlesbrough on a temporary basis until the end of the campaign and teaming up with several compatriots at the club, among them manager Aitor Karanka.[21] His first appearance occurred on 6 February, as he started and played the first half of the 1–1 home draw with Blackburn Rovers.[22]

On 31 August 2016, Sola joined Getafe CF on a season-long loan.[23][24] However, late into the following transfer window, that deal was cancelled and he moved to fellow second-division side Numancia in another temporary deal.[25]

During his four-year spell at the San Mamés Stadium, Sola was rarely used.[26] On 1 June 2018, citing a "lack of motivation", the 32-year-old retired from football.[27]

International career

Sola won his only cap for the Spain under-21 team on 25 March 2008, playing the second half of the 5–0 home win against Kazakhstan for the 2009 UEFA European Championship qualifiers after replacing Bojan Krkić.[28]

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

References
  1. "Sola: "El 8–0 fue un palo muy grande y el equipo ha sabido levantarse"" [Sola: "That 8–0 was such a big blow and the team managed to stand up"] (in Spanish). Noticias de Navarra. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  2. Real Betis 0–5 Osasuna Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 9 June 2007
  3. "Kike Sola vuelve a Osasuna con ilussión [sic] tras dos cesiones en un año" [Kike Sola returns hungry to Osasuna after two loans in one year] (in Spanish). Marca. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  4. "Breve enciclopedia numantina" [Brief numantina encyclopedia] (in Spanish). Desde Soria. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  5. Kike Sola jugará cedido en el Levadiakos FC (Kike Sola to play on loan with Levadiakos FC) Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine; CA Osasuna, 18 January 2010 (in Spanish)
  6. "Kike Sola ha pasado de ser el cuarto delantero a titular con Mendilibar" [Kike Sola went from being the fourth forward to starting under Mendilibar] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 15 March 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  7. Soriano dismissal can't halt Osasuna Archived 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 13 March 2011
  8. Giant performance shocks Hercules Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 20 March 2011
  9. "Kike Sola, de la nada a la red" [Kike Sola, from the nothing to the net] (in Spanish). El Sadar. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  10. Osasuna hit back for stunning win Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 11 May 2011
  11. "Osasuna mantendrá cinco bajas por lesión para el partido en Gijón" [Osasuna still with five out due to injury for game in Gijón] (in Spanish). Diario de Navarra. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  12. Kike Sola se perderá el resto de la temporada por una lesión (Kike Sola to miss rest of the season due to injury); Diario de Navarra, 8 March 2012 (in Spanish)
  13. Masoud aparece justo a tiempo (Masoud just in time); Marca, 25 February 2013 (in Spanish)
  14. Osasuna remonta en la segunda parte y logra tres puntos de oro en Valladolid (Osasuna comes from behind in second half and gets three golden points in Valladolid); Diario de Navarra, 31 March 2013 (in Spanish)
  15. Signing of Kike Sola Archived 8 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine; Athletic Bilbao, 3 July 2013
  16. Kike Sola recae de su lesión (Kike Sola relapses from injury); Marca, 5 November 2013 (in Spanish)
  17. Exhibición en El Sadar (Display at El Sadar) Archived 7 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine; Athletic Bilbao, 26 January 2014 (in Spanish)
  18. "Athletic campeón de Supercopa de España tras igualar ante Barza [sic]" [Athletic champions of the Spanish Supercup after drawing against Barça] (in Spanish). El Comercio. 17 August 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  19. "El oficio del Athletic puede con la ilusión de la Balompédica Linense" [Athletic's know-how best hunger of Balompédica Linense] (in Spanish). ABC. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  20. Lamela, Álvaro (16 December 2015). "Athletic 6–0 Balompédica Linense: Aritz Aduriz falta a la cita del gol" [Athletic 6–0 Balompédica Linense: Aritz Aduriz misses goal appointment] (in Spanish). Goal. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  21. "Enrique Sola: Middlesbrough sign Athletic Bilbao striker". BBC Sport. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  22. "Middlesbrough 1–1 Blackburn Rovers". BBC Sport. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  23. "Kike Sola cedido al Getafe" [Kike Sola loaned to Getafe] (in Spanish). Getafe CF. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  24. Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier (31 August 2016). "Kike Sola, cedido al Getafe" [Kike Sola, loaned to Getafe] (in Spanish). El Correo. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  25. "Kike Sola on-loan to Numancia". Athletic Bilbao. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  26. San Cristóbal, Ainara (5 June 2017). "Kike Sola, apenas 366 minutos por temporada" [Kike Sola, only 366 minutes per season] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  27. "Kike Sola cuelga las botas" [Kike Sola hangs up boots] (in Spanish). Marca. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  28. "Los sub-21 arrollan a Kazajistán" [The under-21s crush Kazakhstan] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 26 March 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
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