Iñigo Lekue (33) is experiencing his final weeks as a professional footballer. After an impeccable career spent entirely at Athletic Club, he will hang up his boots at the end of the current season after the club’s sporting directors decided not to renew his contract. A lion leaves, a ‘One Club Man’ departs.
Eleven seasons in Athletic’s first team, 281 official matches played, three titles won, and a career defined by loyalty to the red-and-white colors. These are the cold statistics Lekue leaves behind for now, though he may add a few more appearances in the Bilbao shirt.
But Lekue means more to the club from Ibaigane. Since making his debut at age 22 under the guidance of another departing figure, Ernesto Valverde, Lekue has been indispensable to every coach and teammate who has passed through the San Mamés bench and dressing room.
Formed at Danok Bat, from where he moved to Basconia and Bilbao Athletic, the defender has stood out especially for his versatility, always fulfilling his mission both on and off the pitch. “He is the tip of an immense iceberg, where the greatest part is what is not seen. Loyalty… faithfulness… camaraderie… Always putting yourself at the service of the group, walking together, shoulder to shoulder, without noise. Respect, giving before asking, staying quiet when necessary, fighting until the last breath… and continuing,” Óscar de Marcos once said of Lekue when he said goodbye to football.
“All of this is Athletic, and all of this has been Iñigo Lekue at Athletic, both on the pitch and off it, a vital footballer in the background who, precisely for this reason, deserves to leave through the front door, even if he does not ask for it and it even makes him uncomfortable,” Athletic highlighted after announcing that the sporting department had decided not to renew the contract of the Deustu native, which ends on June 30.
Following that decision, Lekue has decided to end his career as a footballer, joining the One Club Man list at Athletic, where he won the Supercopa titles in 2014/15 and 2019/20, as well as the Copa del Rey in 2023/24. He played in all those finals.