Enric_Saborit

Enric Saborit

Enric Saborit

Spanish-Catalan footballer


Enric Saborit Teixidor (Spanish pronunciation: [enˈrik saβoˈɾit]; born 27 April 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv as a left-back.

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Formed at Athletic Bilbao, where he was mainly a reserve, he spent most of his professional career at Maccabi Tel Aviv, making over 200 total appearances and winning the Israeli Premier League twice.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia and raised in Mataró,[2][3] at the age of 16 Saborit left the youth ranks of local RCD Espanyol and moved to Vitoria-Gasteiz where his mother was living.[2][4] A short time later he joined Athletic Bilbao,[5] prompting debate over whether his signing met the criteria of the club's policy as he had no link to the Basque region other than the short period of residency in the territory.[4][3]

After graduating from Athletic's youth academy at Lezama, Saborit spent three full seasons with the reserves in the Segunda División B. He played 36 games in 2012–13, playoffs included.

Saborit made his La Liga debut with the Lions on 25 August 2013, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win against CA Osasuna at the Anoeta Stadium.[6] On 9 July 2014, having been sparingly used in his debut campaign, he was loaned to RCD Mallorca of Segunda División.[7]

Saborit returned to Bilbao Athletic in 2015–16, and featured regularly in their attempt to stay in the second tier, which ultimately proved unsuccessful. He made one appearance for the first team against AZ Alkmaar, in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League, starting and assisting with his head to Kike Sola's goal to mark his European debut.[8]

Saborit was promoted once more to Athletic's main squad for the 2016–17 season, as understudy to Mikel Balenziaga.[9] He scored his first senior goal on 8 December 2016, in a 1–1 draw at SK Rapid Wien in the Europa League group phase.[10]

Maccabi Tel Aviv

At the end of the 2017–18 campaign, in which he featured in 23 matches in all competitions, Saborit was released by Athletic Bilbao.[11] On 26 June 2018, he signed for Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. on a three-year contract.[12] He won Israeli Premier League titles in his first two seasons,[13][14] and on 10 December 2020 he scored the only goal of a home win over Sivasspor to advance into the Europa League knockout stage at the Turkish club's expense.[15]

Saborit and other foreign Maccabi players were briefly evacuated from the country during the Israel–Palestine crisis in May 2021,[16] returning the following month to win the State Cup against city rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv FC; he subsequently extended his contract to 2024.[17] In the last 32 of the UEFA Europa Conference League on 24 February 2022, he netted a late equaliser against PSV Eindhoven at Bloomfield Stadium, though the visitors advanced with their goal from the first leg.[18]

Honours

Maccabi Tel Aviv


References

  1. Enric Saborit at WorldFootball.net
  2. Ortiz de Lazcano, Javier (26 February 2008). "De Mataró a Bilbao" [From Mataró to Bilbao]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  3. Bautista Martínez, Juan (5 January 2017). "Saborit, un catalán en el Athletic" [Saborit, a Catalan at Athletic]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  4. Beato, Rafa (27 February 2008). "Saborit abre el debate de la filosofía del club" [Saborit opens debate on club philosophy]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  5. "El Athletic tras Enric Saborit, cadete del RCD Espanyol" [Athletic tracking Enric Saborit, RCD Espanyol cadet] (in Spanish). Join Futbol. 22 February 2008. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  6. "Bilbao triumph in Basque derby". ESPN FC. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  7. "El defensa del Athletic Enric Saborit jugará cedido en el Mallorca" [Athletic defender Enric Saborit will play on loan in Mallorca]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 9 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  8. Cuenca, Nika (10 December 2015). "El Athletic tira la victoria por una jugada del tebeo" [Athletic throw win away with comics-like play]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  9. "Saborit y Elustondo entran en la convocatoria por Beñat y Balenziaga" [Saborit and Elustondo make squad for Beñat and Balenziaga]. Deia (in Spanish). 15 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  10. Jiménez, Rubén (8 December 2016). "Empate y a esperar" [We draw and now we wait]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  11. Rodríguez Beltrán, Javier (22 May 2018). "Saborit y Sola salen del Athletic" [Saborit and Sola leave Athletic]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  12. "Enric Saborit ficha por el Maccabi Tel Aviv" [Enric Saborit signs for Maccabi Tel Aviv]. Deia (in Spanish). 26 June 2018. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  13. Manchón, Martín (1 April 2019). "Jair Amador y Enric Saborit, campeones en Israel" [Jair Amador and Enric Saborit, champions in Israel]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  14. Romo, Asier (28 June 2020). "Saborit celebra el título de Liga con el Maccabi Tel Aviv" [Saborit celebrates the League title with Maccabi Tel Aviv]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  15. Manchón, Martín (21 May 2021). ""Meter a tu hijo de seis meses en un búnker no es agradable"" ["Putting your six-month-old son in a bunker is not pleasant"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  16. "Enric Saborit sigue alimentando su exitosa aventura israelí" [Enric Saborit continues feeding his successful Israeli adventure] (in Spanish). Athletic Txankletas. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  17. Halickman, Joshua (24 February 2022). "Maccabi Tel Aviv welcomes back prodigal son Eran Zahavi as PSV comes out on top". Sports Rabbi. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  18. "Copa Israel: ¡Macabi Tel Aviv campeón!" [Israeli Cup: Maccabi Tel Aviv champions!] (in Spanish). Aurora. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2023.

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