Xabi Prieto

Xabier Prieto Argarate (San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, August 29, 1983), known as Xabi Prieto, is a Spanish former footballer, captain of the Real Sociedad de LaLiga Santander until the end of the 17/18 season.

Coming from the Santo Tomas Lizeoa ikastola, he began his career at Hernani on loan from Real Sociedad, who had signed him as a youth player. After passing through Real Sociedad B, where he played 43 games and scored 8 goals, he debuted with the first team in the Cup match, on September 8, 2003, Real Oviedo 1 - Real Sociedad 2.

During his sporting career he played in the right interior position and as a midfielder. He has been described as a very technical player, whose main quality was dribbling and passing, being one of the greatest assistants in several seasons. He was also a great penalty taker, managing to score 25 goals from 26 shots, with Aranzubia being the only goalkeeper who stopped a shot from him, in 2007. Prieto rejected higher financial offers from teams in higher leagues to remain linked to Real Sociedad.

Career

Royal Society

Season 2003/04

He debuted with the first team in a Copa del Rey match against Real Oviedo. In the 13 games he played this season (two as a starter), Prieto scored 2 goals, both against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, in the 1-4 win over the Txuri-Urdin team, in a match played on the 23rd of May.

Season 2004/05

This season Prieto established himself as a first team player. He played a total of 25 games, 16 as a starter. During the season he was only able to score one goal in the Cup against Burgos.

Season 2005/06

Xabi was the team's top scorer, with a total of 9 goals, 6 of them from penalties (all the ones he took). He participated in all league games, starting 32, being a key piece in the team.

Season 2006/07

In a season in which Real Sociedad would end up relegated, Prieto was one of the few players who stood out positively in the season carried out by the blue and white team. He played 34 games, 31 as a starter, missing the last two games due to injury. In these games he would score 3 goals, 2 of them from penalties.

Season 2007/08

The first season in the Second Division of Real Sociedad was very turbulent. At the beginning of 2008, the player renewed with Real Sociedad until 2013. In terms of football, he played 37 games, 33 as a starter. In these games he would score 4 goals, one of them a penalty.

Season 2008/09

This season was complex because there were several turbulent moments, due to the motion of censure that led to the entry into the presidency of Jokin Aperribay, replacing Iñaki Badiola). Xabi Prieto's season was similar to the previous one, scoring four goals in 33 games, one from a penalty.

Season 2009/10

It was one of his best seasons, coinciding with the arrival of the Uruguayan Martín Lasarte, gaining prominence and deciding games in favor of his team, becoming one of the main architects of Real Sociedad's promotion. He scored 7 goals, two of them from penalties, and played 36 games, 34 as a starter.

Season 2010/11

He completed his best season in the First Division and the best of his career along with promotion. He scored a goal on the first day of Real's return to Primera against Villarreal CF. He scored a decisive penalty goal against FC Barcelona giving them a home victory. He played 37 games and scored 7 goals, four from penalties.

Season 2011/12

This season Prieto had more modest goals and assist figures. He finished the season with 34 games played and 2 goals.

He played four Copa del Rey games and scored 2 goals, both against Granada CF.

Season 2012/13

This season Philippe Montanier opted for Xabi Prieto positioned in the midfield rather than on the right wing. Prieto became captain after the retirement of Mikel Aranburu. He scored nine goals, two from penalties, five of them against Real Madrid. Three took place at the Santiago Bernabéu on January 6, 2013, in a 4-3 defeat against Real Madrid, thus becoming his first hat-trick in the First Division. He again scored two goals against Real Madrid in the match of the second round (3-3), one of them from a penalty and another in the last minute. Other important goals were those achieved against Málaga in a 1-2 victory and the one scored at the Vicente Calderón Stadium (0- 1) against Atlético de Madrid.

On June 1, 2013, Prieto, captaining Real, qualified for the Champions League after beating RC Deportivo de La Coruña by 0 to 1.

Season 2013/14

In a season in which Real Sociedad had good results, Prieto would once again be a key piece for Real Sociedad. On matchday 3 of the League, Prieto would score his first goal of the season in the match that his team lost 1-2 against Atlético de Madrid after scoring into the top corner with a shot with his right foot. On September 17, 2013, Prieto made his official debut in the Champions League, in the first game of the group stage, in which Real Sociedad lost 0-2 against Shakhtar Donetsk. Prieto would be injured on matchday six of the League, during Real's visit to FC Barcelona, suffering a torn fiber that would keep him off the playing field for several weeks. He reappeared during the visit to Old Trafford where Real lost 1-0 to Manchester United. La Real were eliminated from the Champions League one game before the end of the Group stage in a 4-0 defeat at the Donbass Arena against Shakhtar Donetsk. In the League, Real Sociedad's results continued to improve and Prieto scored a goal in the 5-1 win over Real Betis in Anoeta. However, with the arrival of the new year, Prieto began to lose ownership due to the signing of the Cantabrian Sergio Canales in the winter market.

In the Copa del Rey, Real reached the semi-finals again a quarter of a century later, being eliminated by FC Barcelona. Prieto played 7 games in which he did not score goals.

Season 2014/15

He had a remarkable start to the season, scoring two decisive goals in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against Aberdeen Football Club (2-3). Two weeks later he was, once again, decisive in the first leg of the third and final qualifying round by scoring the solitary goal against FC Krasnodar in Anoeta.

With the arrival of the new coach, David Moyes, Prieto once again became a significant part of the team. On January 24, on the first day of the second round, he scored his first goal in the League from a corner in a 1-0 victory against S.D. Eibar. On February 22, he had a prominent role after scoring two goals to give Real the victory against Sevilla F. C.

2015/16 season

He began the season, being the starting playmaker in the Scottish David Moyes' scheme. Starting on matchday 5, Sergio Canales occupied that position, with Prieto starting some games from the bench.

After the dismissal of Moyes and with Eusebio in charge, Prieto once again regained ownership, this time playing on the wing. In the Valladolid native's first game as coach, Prieto scored his first goal of the season in a 2-0 victory against Sevilla FC.

On January 16, 2016, he scored his second goal of the campaign, from a Panenka-style penalty in a one-goal draw against RC Deportivo de La Coruña in Anoeta. Two weeks later he opened the scoring with a header in a 2-1 victory against Real Betis.

2016/17 season

He began the season as a substitute, although he had minutes on the first day against Real Madrid, in a 0-3 defeat. On the second day, he started against Osasuna in a 0-2 victory and gave his first assist.

On matchday 9, he scored his first goal of the season with a header in a 3-0 victory against Deportivo Alavés. A week later, he scored again in a 0-2 victory against Leganés. He would also score a goal two days later, in the 1-3 away victory against Real Sporting de Gijón.

After a period without scoring a goal, on February 24, 2017 he scored again against U. D. Las Palmas, in Gran Canaria, giving his team a narrow victory. On the next visit, to Real Betis, Prieto scored his first double of the season which was again enough to obtain the 2-3 victory.

On March 20, 2017, Prieto's renewal for one more season with Real Sociedad was made official. A month later, he scored a goal at the Camp Nou in a 3-2 defeat against F. C. Barcelona. On the penultimate matchday, Prieto scored a penalty goal in a 2-2 draw against Málaga C.F. in Anoeta.

On an individual level, Prieto was once again one of the highlights of the Basque team. He was the only player in the first team who played all the League games along with Mikel Oyarzabal and only missed one Cup game. In total, he played 43 games, scoring 8 goals and giving 6 assists.

2017/18 season

He started the new season again as a starter in the midfield along with Illarra and Zurutuza. On August 25, in the match corresponding to the second day of the League, Prieto was honored for his 500 games before the match against Villarreal C.F.. On September 14, he made his debut in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in the 4-0 win against Rosenborg BK, giving an assist on a goal. On matchday 7 in a match against Real Betis that would end 4-4, Prieto scored his second goal of the season. On February 18, 2018, after a period without scoring for almost five months, Prieto scored again from a penalty in the 3-0 victory against Levante U.D. However, in the same execution of the shot he suffered an injury in the adductor, which forced him to be replaced in the 13th minute by Sergio Canales.

On April 10, 2018 he announced his retirement from sports after 15 years as a professional. On May 12 he played his last game in Anoeta in the 3-2 victory against CD Leganés, entering the final minutes of the match since he was not fully recovered from the injury suffered in the month of February. He was allowed to give a farewell speech, in front of the entire stadium, in which, between tears, he thanked the fans for their presence, remembering old moments, while mentioning the promise he made to his mother to return his team to first team. That match the San Sebastian team wore a shield on their shirts with the player's face in tribute to his career.

On May 20 he played his last game as a professional, out of a total of 532, in the 1-0 defeat against FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

Subsequently, Prieto has continued to be close to Real Sociedad, participating in various veteran events, even playing a match with Xabi Alonso.

Clubs

Club	Country	Year
Real Society B	SpainSpain	2002 - 2003
Real Society	SpainSpain	2003 - 2018

Palmarés

National titles

Title	Club	Country	Year
Second Division	Real Society	Spain	2009-10

Statistics

Clubs

Club	Div.	Season	League		Cup		Champions		UEFA		Total
			PJ	G	PJ	G	PJ	G	PJ	G	PJ	G
Real Society "B" SpainSpain	3. a	2002/03	29	5	.	.	-	-	-	-	29	5
	2.a B	2003/04	14	3	.	.	-	-	-	-	14	3
Total Real Society "B"			43	8	-	-	-	-	-	-	43	8
Real Society SpainSpain	1. a	2003/04	11	2	2	0	0	0	-	-	13	2
	1. a	2004/05	23	0	2	1	-	-	-	-	25	1
	1. a	2005/06	38	9	0	0	-	-	-	-	38	9
	1. a	2006/07	33	4	1	0	-	-	-	-	34	4
	2. a	2007/08	36	4	1	0	-	-	-	-	37	4
	2. a	2008/09	32	4	1	0	-	-	-	-	33	4
	2. a	2009/10	35	7	1	0	-	-	-	-	36	7
	1. a	2010/11	37	7	2	0	-	-	-	-	39	7
	1. a	2011/12	34	2	4	2	-	-	-	-	38	4
	1. a	2012/13	35	9	2	0	-	-	-	-	37	9
	1. a	2013/14	30	2	7	0	7	0	-	-	44	2
	1. a	2014/15	35	4	3	0	-	-	4	3	42	7
	1. a	2015/16	36	3	1	0	-	-	-	-	37	3
	1. a	2016/17	38	8	5	0	-	-	-	-	43	8
	1. a	2017/18	26	3	2	0	-	-	6	0	34	3
Total Real Society			479	68	33	3	7	0	10	3	530	74
Total career			522	76	33	3	7	0	10	3	575	82

National team

He has been an under-21 international with the Spanish soccer team, between 2004 and 2005, on five occasions. He has also played 14 international friendlies with the Basque Country football team, which lacks official recognition by FIFA.