Xabi Prieto

Xabi Prieto

Prieto with Real Sociedad in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Xabier Prieto Argarate
Date of birth	29 August 1983
Place of birth	San Sebastián, Spain
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Real Sociedad
Number	10
Youth career
1997–2002	Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2002–2004	Real Sociedad B	48	(8)
2003–	Real Sociedad	413	(56)
National team
2004–2005	Spain U21	5	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 3 May 2016 (UTC). † Appearances (goals)

Xabier 'Xabi' Prieto Argarate (born 29 August 1983) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Sociedad mainly as a right midfielder.

A player of good dribbling skills, he is also a penalty kick specialist.

Club career

Born in San Sebastián, Prieto made his La Liga debut with hometown's Real Sociedad on 26 October 2003 in a 1–0 home win over Navarrese neighbours CA Osasuna, going on to collect a further eight substitute appearances – seven of them late in the game – during that season. However, on 23 May of the following year, as the league's outcome was already decided, he profitted from his second start to score twice against Real Madrid in a 4–1 away success, one of the goals coming from the penalty spot.^[1]

Subsequently, Prieto was definitely promoted to the first squad and, in 2005–06, participated in all 38 games and netted nine times, six of them being penalties. In the following season he was also everpresent, but the Basque dropped down to the second division.

Prieto played in 35 matches in the 2009–10 campaign, totalling exactly 3,000 minutes and contributing with seven goals as Real Sociedad returned to the top level after three years. In the first game of the following season, at home against Villarreal CF, he scored the game's only goal, after a backheel pass from newly signed Joseba Llorente.^[2]

On 6 January 2013, Prieto netted the first hat-trick of his professional career, but in a 3–4 loss at Real Madrid: he scored once through a penalty and twice after one-on-one situations against Iker Casillas.^[3][4] He added a brace on 22 February 2015 in another seven-goal thriller, but now in a 4–3 home win over Sevilla FC.^[5]

Club statistics

As of 1 February 2016

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Real Sociedad	2003–04[6]	La Liga	11	2	2	0	—		13	2
	2004–05[6]	La Liga	23	0	2	1	—		25	1
	2005–06[6]	La Liga	38	9	0	0	—		38	9
	2006–07[6]	La Liga	33	3	1	0	—		34	3
	2007–08[6]	Segunda División	36	4	1	0	—		37	4
	2008–09[6]	Segunda División	32	4	1	0	—		33	4
	2009–10[6]	Segunda División	35	7	1	0	—		36	7
	2010–11[6]	La Liga	37	7	2	0	—		39	7
	2011–12[6]	La Liga	34	2	4	2	—		38	4
	2012–13[6]	La Liga	35	9	2	0	—		37	9
	2013–14[6]	La Liga	30	2	6	0	7[lower-alpha 1]	0	43	2
	2014–15[7]	La Liga	35	4	3	0	4[lower-alpha 2]	3	42	6
	2015–16[7]	La Liga	20	3	1	0	0[lower-alpha 2]	0	21	3
Career total			399	56	26	3	11	3	437	62

1. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
2. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

References

1. "Real Madrid 1–4 Real Sociedad". ESPN Soccernet. 23 May 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
2. "Sociedad make winning return". ESPN Soccernet. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
3. "Casillas benched again but Madrid win". ESPN FC. 6 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
4. "Xabi Prieto, un triplete sin premio" [Xabi Prieto, hat-trick without prize] (in Spanish). Marca. 6 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
5. "Real locura" [Royal madness] (in Spanish). Marca. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
6. "Xabi Prieto: Xabier Prieto Argarate". BDFutbol. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
7. "Xabi Prieto". Soccerway. Retrieved 19 March 2015.

External links

• Real Sociedad official profile (Spanish)
• Xabi Prieto profile at BDFutbol
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)