Sabin Merino

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Merino and the second or maternal family name is Zuloaga.

Sabin Merino Zuloaga (Basque: [s̺aβin meɾino]; Spanish: [saˈβim meˈɾino]; born 4 January 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays mainly as a left winger.

Sabin Merino

Merino with Athletic Bilbao in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Sabin Merino Zuloaga
Date of birth	(1992-01-04) 4 January 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth	Urduliz, Spain
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Youth career
2001–2002	Danok Bat
2002–2005	Athletic Bilbao
2005–2008	Danok Bat
2008–2009	Javanon
2009–2011	Danok Bat
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2013	Basconia	70	(27)
2012–2015	Bilbao Athletic	81	(21)
2015–2019	Athletic Bilbao	48	(6)
2018–2019	→ Leganés (loan)	12	(0)
2019–2020	Leganés	2	(0)
2020	Deportivo La Coruña	18	(5)
2020–2022	Leganés	50	(11)
2022–2024	Zaragoza	16	(0)
2022–2023	→ Atlético San Luis (loan)	23	(2)
2023–2024	→ Racing Ferrol (loan)	36	(5)
International career
2016	Basque Country	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 June 2024

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Urduliz, Biscay, Basque Country, Merino graduated from Danok Bat CF's youth academy after spells at Athletic Bilbao's Lezama and American team Javanon FC.^[1] In the summer of 2011 he returned to the Lions, and made his debut as a senior with the farm team in Tercera División.^[2]

On 21 June 2013, Merino was promoted to the reserves in the Segunda División B.^[3] On 29 June 2015, after scoring a career-best 18 goals during the season as they returned to Segunda División after a 19-year absence,^[4] he was promoted to the main squad in La Liga.^[5]

Merino made his official debut with the first team on 6 August 2015, coming on as a second-half substitute for Javier Eraso in a 0–0 away draw against Inter Baku PIK in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.^[6] After the departure of Guillermo he was finally granted a place in the roster, being assigned #25.^[7]

Merino started in the 4–0 home rout of FC Barcelona in the Supercopa de España on 14 August 2015 as a left winger, providing the assist for Aritz Aduriz's second goal.^[8] He scored his first professional goal on 20 August, the first in a 3–2 Europa League playoff round loss at MŠK Žilina.^[9]

Merino scored his first goal in the Spanish top flight on 23 September 2015, in a 1–2 home defeat against Real Madrid.^[10]

Leganés

On 31 August 2018, Merino was loaned to CD Leganés in the same league for one year.^[11] The following May, after Athletic released him, he automatically joined the Madrid club on a permanent one-year deal.^[12]

Deportivo

Merino signed for Deportivo de La Coruña of Segunda División on 14 January 2020, after agreeing to a two-and-a-half-year contract.^[13] He scored four times in his first four matches with the club, surpassing previous holder Bebeto who held the distinction since 1992;^[14] this feat earned him January's Segunda División Player of the Month award.^[15]

Return to Leganés

On 17 August 2020, after Dépor's relegation, Merino returned to Leganés.^[16] On 31 January 2022, he left as a free agent.^[17]

Zaragoza

On 31 January 2022, Merino joined fellow second-tier side Real Zaragoza on a three-and-a-half-year deal.^[18] In July, he was loaned to Atlético San Luis of the Liga MX.^[19]

On 25 July 2023, Merino went on loan to Racing de Ferrol for the upcoming season.^[20] In August of the following year, he terminated his contract with Zaragoza.^[21]

International career

Merino was never capped by Spain at any level. He did feature for the unofficial Basque Country regional team.^[22]

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

• Supercopa de España: 2015^[8]

Individual

• Segunda División Player of the Month: January 2020^[15]

References

1. Martín, Asís (4 December 2013). "El cachorro Sabin Merino es seguido por varios clubes ingleses" [Pup Sabin Merino is tracked by several English clubs] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
2. "La apuesta del Athletic es Sabin Merino" [Athletic's bet is Sabin Merino]. Deia (in Spanish). 16 June 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
3. "Bilbao Athletic pre-season". Athletic Bilbao. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
4. García, Alberto (29 June 2015). "Sabin Merino: El capitán de récord que pudo ser también héroe" [Sabin Merino: the record captain who could also have been the hero]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 August 2015.
5. "Dismissals in Bilbao Athletic". Athletic Bilbao. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
6. Cuenca, Nika (30 July 2015). "Eraso arranca con el pie derecho en Bilbao" [Eraso starts off on the right foot in Bilbao]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 August 2015.
7. "Williams hereda el '15' de Iraola y Bóveda el '2' de Toquero" [Williams inherits the '15' from Iraola and Bóveda the '2' from Toquero]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
8. Estepa, Javier (14 August 2015). "Aduriz echa al Barça a los leones" [Aduriz throws Barça to the lions]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2015.
9. Ballesteros, Cristian (20 August 2015). "El Athletic se deja sorprender por el Zilina" [Athletic let themselves be surprised by Zilina]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 August 2015.
10. "Ath Bilbao 1–2 Real Madrid". BBC Sport. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
11. "El extremo Sabin Merino, cedido al C.D. Leganés para la presente temporada" [Winger Sabin Merino, loaned to C.D. Leganés for the current season] (in Spanish). CD Leganés. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
12. Martín, Francisco Javier (8 May 2019). "El Athletic libera a Merino, que seguirá en el Leganés hasta 2020" [Athletic release Merino, who will continue at Leganés until 2020]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2019.
13. "New 2019–2020 Deportivo player! Sabin Merino". Deportivo La Coruña. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
14. Fuentes, Fran (2 February 2020). "Sabin Merino supera el hito de Bebeto" [Sabin Merino surpasses Bebeto's milestone] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
15. "Merino named LaLiga SmartBank Player of the Month for January". La Liga. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
16. "Sabin Merino will be part of C.D Leganés again for the 2020/21 season". CD Leganés. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
17. "El C.D. Leganés y Sabin Merino no continuarán juntos" [C.D. Leganés and Sabin Merino will not continue together] (in Spanish). CD Leganés. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
18. "El Real Zaragoza refuerza su ataque con Sabin Merino" [Real Zaragoza bolster their attack with Sabin Merino] (in Spanish). Real Zaragoza. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
19. R. Bravo, Chema (2 July 2022). "El Zaragoza hace oficial la cesión de Sabin Merino" [Zaragoza confirm Sabin Merino loan]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 July 2023.
20. "Acuerdo con el Racing de Ferrol para la cesión de Sabin Merino" [Agreement with Racing de Ferrol for the loan of Sabin Merino] (in Spanish). Real Zaragoza. 25 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
21. Marín, Javier (30 August 2024). "Oficial: Sabin Merino rescinde el año que le restaba de contrato" [Official: Sabin Merino rescinds the remaining year of his contract]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
22. "Catalunya 0–1 Euskal Selekzioa" [Catalonia 0–1 Basque XI] (in Spanish). Basque Football Federation. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2017.

External links

• Sabin Merino at Athletic Bilbao
• Sabin Merino at BDFutbol
• Sabin Merino – UEFA competition record (archive)
• Sabin Merino at Soccerway