Iñigo Díaz de Cerio

Spanish footballer

Iñigo Díaz de Cerio
Personal information
Full name	Iñigo Díaz de Cerio Conejero
Date of birth	(1984-05-15) 15 May 1984 (age 39)
Place of birth	San Sebastián, Spain
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
	Anunciata Ikastetxea
	Sporting Herrera
2000–2002	Antiguoko^[1]
2002–2003	Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2006	Real Sociedad B	86	(39)
2006–2009	Real Sociedad	77	(24)
2009–2012	Athletic Bilbao	7	(0)
2010–2011	→ Córdoba (loan)	8	(1)
2011–2012	→ Numancia (loan)	24	(8)
2012–2014	Mirandés	68	(14)
Total		270	(86)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Iñigo Díaz de Cerio Conejero (born 15 May 1984) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.

Club career

De Cerio was born in San Sebastián, Basque Country. Having finished his football grooming with Real Sociedad, he was the top scorer (across all four groups) in the third division with the B-team in the 2005–06 season,^[2] and also made his La Liga debut on 12 February 2006 in a 0–1 away loss against Atlético Madrid.^[3] In 2007–08, he scored 16 second level goals as the main squad finished fourth, falling short of a return to the top flight.^[4]

On 8 November 2008, Díaz de Cerio suffered a serious injury after a collision with SD Eibar player Zigor, fracturing the tibia and the fibula of his right leg. After a successful surgery, the club medical's staff nonetheless stated that the recovery would be "very slow", and the player was expected to miss the vast majority of the campaign.^[5]^[6]

In late June 2009, Díaz de Cerio switched to neighbours Athletic Bilbao on a four-year deal after his Real contract had just expired.^[7]^[8] He returned to action almost one year after his injury (5 November 2009), playing 30 minutes in a 1–1 draw at C.D. Nacional in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.^[9]

On 13 August 2010, Córdoba CF confirmed Díaz de Cerio's loan for one year. In the following transfer window, however, he was recalled by Athletic Bilbao.^[10]

From 2011 to 2014, Díaz de Cerio competed in the second tier and scored a combined 22 goals for CD Numancia^[11] and CD Mirandés. In June 2014, however, aged only 30, he announced his retirement from football.^[12]

References

^ "Jugadores relevantes" [Relevant players] (in Spanish). Antiguoko KE. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
^ Lizasoain, Imanol (18 March 2018). "Victoria del Sanse para afianzarse en la zona noble de la tabla" [Sanse win to reach higher part of table]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 January 2020.
^ "Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: jugadores en los dos bandos" [Athletic Club-Real Sociedad: players on both sides]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 9 May 2014. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ "'Iñigol' vuelve a la Real Sociedad" ['Iñigol' returns to Real Sociedad] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
^ "Díaz de Cerio se fractura tibia y peroné" [Díaz de Cerio fractures tibia and fibula]. Marca (in Spanish). 8 November 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
^ "Díaz de Cerio, operado con éxito de su fractura de tibia y peroné" [Díaz de Cerio, successfully operated from his tibia and fibula fracture]. Marca (in Spanish). 9 November 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
^ "El Athletic confirma el fichaje de Íñigo Díaz de Cerio" [Athletic confirm Ínigo Díaz de Cerio's signing]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 June 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
^ "Iñigo Díaz de Cerio's presentation". Athletic Bilbao. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
^ "Etxeberria edges Athletic closer". UEFA. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
^ "De Cerio regresa al Athletic tras su cesión en el Córdoba" [De Cerio returns to Athletic after his Córdoba loan]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
^ "Breve enciclopedia numantina" [Brief numantina encyclopedia]. Desde Soria (in Spanish). 29 May 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
^ "Iñigo Díaz de Cerio anuncia su retirada" [Iñigo Díaz de Cerio announces retirement]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). 16 June 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.