Iñigo Lekue

Set to retire after season

Lekue will hang up his boots at the end of the season after 11 years as an Athletic Club player, retiring as a true One Club Man after the club informed him his contract will not be renewed, the club announced.

Analysis: Lekue made 281 official appearances for Athletic Club across his career, averaging around 25 matches per season, and won three trophies including the Copa del Rey in 2023/24 and two Supercopas in 2014/15 and 2019/20. Remarkably, he featured in the decisive matches of all three title-winning occasions, including the memorable 4-0 first leg of the 2015 Supercopa final against Barcelona on his debut, both fixtures in the 2021 Supercopa triumph over Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the second half of extra time in the 2024 Copa del Rey final against Mallorca. The Deusto-born defender was never a headline-grabbing player, but his versatility and commitment made him invaluable to every coach who managed him, capable of playing in any defensive or attacking position on either flank with equal reliability. With 10 La Liga appearances this season, Lekue bows out as one of the great servants of Basque football.