Time passes very fast in all aspects of life. And in football, even more so. It seems that it was yesterday when Iñigo Martínez arrived in Bilbao after Aymeric laporte will leave the Bilbao club for the millionaire paid termination clause -65 kilos-. The central of the Real society He ended his relationship with the Txuri Urdin club and for the half that was the mark of the Agen center-back, he came back and won. It did not take long to convince the rojiblanca fans, who no longer remember the great left-handed central defender now in Manchester. And this Monday he will add his 100th game as a lion.
And he will do it, curiously, against the team that has scored his only goal as a rojiblanco and that traditionally does very well. It happened not long ago. Just five months ago, June 20. The ondarrutarra finally made his debut as a director seven minutes into the game. A ball served from the left by Córdoba was hooked by Iñigo with a kind of heel strike that, after hitting the body of an Andalusian defender, beat the Betic goalkeeper.
It was one more goal from a center forward, at the near post, than from a central defender, who lavishes, as is the case, in the aerial balls of the corner kicks. That goal by the Biscayan was the victory by the minimum against the set of Ruby. It gives the impression that Iñigo Martínez is a kind of torment for Betis. That defeat in Saint Mamas Prompted by his goal, it led to the dismissal of the Catalan coach.
An ‘ogre’ for the Andalusians
But the thing does not stop there. Many football fans will remember the great goal that the defender from Ondarrutarra endorsed Betis in their stadium with a shot from the center of the field that caught the Andalusian goalkeeper off guard, who was out of the area, with the defense well advanced. It was in the 2011/12 season, on November 27, 2011 in The Cartuja.
And it is that the rojiblanco is an ‘ogre’ for the Betics Being also txuri urdin, Iñigo scored with a head to equalize a game that had been complicated with the 1-2 with which they dominated in Anoeta. It was in March 2013, as a result of a rehearsed play in a corner kick. Vela's pass from the left was very accurate so that the defender headed almost in the small area. It was in Donosti and the match ended with a tie at 3. On January 30, 2016 he also got wet against this same team in the same stadium. He achieved the second goal from Ruben Pardo and the Real won 2-1.
Obvious regularity
And it is that marking was a traditional task that has been complicated for Iñigo in the Athletic, despite being close to the goal on several occasions, such as with his shot to the crossbar against Sevilla that could mean the move to Europe in the first season of Garitano. At 29 years old, the Biscayan is in full maturity convincing everyone. His 90 league games and 9 Copa del Rey games have been marked by regularity and on numerous occasions he has been the best rojiblanco of each game.
Aim for the Euro
That is why it is not surprising that he performs at the Euro Cup next year. Luis Enrique has recruited him again in the recent round of three consecutive matches of the league break and together with Unai Simón he may be the red-and-white representation in the tournament in a few months. Iñigo is showing the success of his signing.