Mikel Saizar

Mikel Saizar Soroa (born 18 January 1983) is a Spanish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and the current goalkeeping coach of Real Sociedad C.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Saizar and the second or maternal family name is Soroa.
Mikel Saizar
Personal information
Full name Mikel Saizar Soroa
Date of birth (1983-01-18) 18 January 1983
Place of birth Ibarra, Spain
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Real Sociedad C (goalkeeping coach)
Youth career
Tolosa
1998–2000 Athletic Bilbao
2000–2001 Tolosa
2001 Real Unión
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2002 Real Unión 4 (0)
2002–2006 Real Sociedad B 58 (0)
2006–2009 Pontevedra 42 (0)
2009–2010 Cultural Leonesa 20 (0)
2010–2012 Guadalajara 68 (0)
2012–2015 Córdoba 39 (0)
2015–2016 AEK Larnaca 4 (0)
2016–2017 Numancia 1 (0)
2017–2019 Burgos 75 (0)
2019–2022 Amorebieta 63 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Ibarra (Gipuzkoa), Saizar made his senior debut with Real Unión in the 2001–02 season, in the Segunda División B. In the summer of 2002 he joined Basque neighbours Real Sociedad, being assigned to the reserves also in the third tier.

Saizar continued to compete in the third division the following years, representing Pontevedra CF, Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa[1] and CD Guadalajara.[2] With the latter side, he achieved promotion to Segunda División in 2011.

On 27 August 2011, aged 28, Saizar made his debut as a professional, starting in a 1–1 home draw against UD Las Palmas.[3] He played all 42 league games during the campaign, as the Castilla-La Mancha club narrowly avoided relegation.

On 10 July 2012, Saizar moved to Córdoba CF also in division two.[4] He spent his first year as a backup to Alberto García.

Saizar renewed his contract with the Andalusians on 14 February 2013,[5] and was an ever-present figure in 2013–14 as his team returned to La Liga after a 42-year absence.[6] He made his debut in the competition on 21 February 2015, starting in a 1–2 home loss to Valencia CF.[7]

Saizar cut ties with Córdoba on 21 July 2015, after suffering relegation.[8] On 30 November of the following year, after spending one season as a backup to compatriot Toño at AEK Larnaca FC from the Cypriot First Division, he signed a one-year deal with CD Numancia.[9] He played only once for the Soria-based club before dropping down a division to join Burgos CF, where he kept a clean sheet for the first nine games of the 2017–18 season before a 1–1 draw at CD Mirandés on 21 October.[10]

Club statistics
As of 17 September 2015
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Unión 2001–02[11] Segunda División B 40——40
Real Sociedad B 2003–04[11] Segunda División B 200——200
2004–05[11] Segunda División B 110——110
2005–06[11] Segunda División B 270—2[lower-alpha 1]0290
Total 580—20600
Pontevedra 2006–07[11] Segunda División B 2010—30
2007–08[11] Segunda División B 20500070
2008–09[11] Segunda División B 38010—390
Total 4207000490
Cultural Leonesa 2009–10[11] Segunda División B 20040—240
Guadalajara 2010–11[11] Segunda División B 2600000260
2011–12[11] Segunda División 42010—430
Total 68010—690
Córdoba 2012–13[11] Segunda División 2060—80
2013–14[11] Segunda División 31000—310
2014–15[11] La Liga 6020—80
Total 39080—470
AEK Larnaca 2015–16[12] Cypriot First Division 10000010
Career total 2320200202540
  1. Appearances in Promotion Play-offs

References
  1. El portero Mikel Saizar y el central Álvaro Tejedor, primeros fichajes (Goalkeeper Mikel Saizar and stopper Álvaro Tejedor, first signings); Diario de León, 22 July 2009 (in Spanish)
  2. El Guadalajara ficha al portero Mikel Saizar procedente de La Leonesa (Guadalajara sign goalkeeper Mikel Saizar from La Leonesa); El Digital Deportivo, 23 August 2010 (in Spanish)
  3. Vitolo evita una victoria histórica del Guadalajara (Vitolo avoids an historical victory from Guadalajara); Marca, 27 August 2011 (in Spanish)
  4. El Córdoba ficha al meta Saizar (Córdoba sign goalkeeper Saizar); Marca, 10 July 2012 (in Spanish)
  5. Saizar, hasta 2016 (Saizar, until 2016); El Día de Córdoba, 14 February 2013 (in Spanish)
  6. "Los héroes del ascenso" [The promotion heroes] (in Spanish). ABC. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  7. El Valencia sufre en el Nuevo Arcángel (Valencia suffer at the Nuevo Arcángel); Marca, 21 February 2015 (in Spanish)
  8. Comunicado oficial (Official statement) Archived 24 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine; Córdoba CF, 21 July 2015 (in Spanish)
  9. Mikel Saizar, nuevo jugador del Numancia (Mikel Saizar, new player of Numancia); CD Numancia, 30 November 2016 (in Spanish)
  10. "1–1. Empate a fútbol entre CD Mirandés y Burgos CF" [1–1. Football draw between CD Mirandés and Burgos CF] (in Spanish). Burgos Conecta. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  11. "Saizar: Mikel Saizar Soroa". BDFutbol. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  12. "Mikel Saizar". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
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