Joseba Etxeberria

Born in Elgoibar, Gipuzkoa, Etxeberria began his career with Real Sociedad, making his La Liga debut at only 17 in a 2–0 home win against Español on 29 January 1995. That summer, he moved to neighbouring Athletic Bilbao in a controversial transfer that cost over €3 million and caused the clubs to break off formal relations– at the time, it was the highest transfer fee paid for an under-18 player in Spanish football. When he returned to Anoeta Stadium in 2001, the Real Sociedad supporters prepared banners of his face on banknotes denoting him as a 'mercenary', and when he scored they responded with a hail of bottles and verbal abuse which earned the organization a fine from the Royal Spanish Football Federation. In 1997–98, Etxeberria scored 11 league goals as Athletic finished second, achieving a career-best 14 five seasons later. He netted the goal that took his team into the group stage of the UEFA Champions League as they overcame Dinamo Tbilisi on the away goals rule, and repeated the feat in that phase of the competition against Rosenborg (1–1 home draw); in his first 12 years he never appeared in less than 28 league games, his lowest scoring output being three in the 2004–05 and 2006–07 campaigns, while he was also eventually awarded team captaincy. On 1 October 2008, already playing second-fiddle, Etxeberria agreed a deal with the Basque side according to which he effectively played 2009–10, his last season as a professional, for free, after his contract expired in…

After leading the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship scoring charts and winning fourth place, Etxeberria was called up to the Spain full national team, making his debut on 19 November 1997 in a friendly against Romania in Palma de Mallorca and scoring in the 1–1 draw. He was capped 53 times and netted 12 goals, representing his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. On 18 June, in the second tournament, he scored the 2–1 winner in the group stage match to defeat Slovenia. Etxeberria also featured for the unofficial Basque Country side in 11 matches, a record number of appearances at the time which was honoured by the territorial federation upon his retirement.

Etxeberria began a coaching career after retiring, his first job being with the Basque Country representative youth teams. He returned to Athletic in 2012, starting out at the youth academy; having spent so many years at the club as a player, he described the Lezama training centre as a "second home". In 2015, Etxeberria moved to the first team under manager Ernesto Valverde. The following year, he was appointed at affiliate Basconia, controlling a group of players he had previously managed at the Juvenil age group level. In summer 2017, Etxberria departed from the Athletic internal structure whilst remaining contracted to the club and moved within the same region to become manager of third-tier side Amorebieta, replacing the departed Aitor Larrazábal (a former Athletic teammate and coaching colleague). On 5 February of the following year, he replaced fired José Luis Martí at Tenerife. In May 2018, Athletic Bilbao confirmed that Etxeberria had cut all ties with the club to continue his coaching career independently. On 17 September, he was fired by Tenerife after the team failed to record a victory in the first five league matches of the season. Etxeberria returned to the Athletic Bilbao staff in late May 2019, now as head coach of the reserve team Bilbao Athletic, on a two-year contract. On 14 February 2022, he took over from Lolo Escobar at the helm of Mirandés in the Segunda División. On 24 May 2023, Etxeberria announced that he would leave the Jabatos at the end of the…

Etxeberria was not related to former Athletic teammate Imanol Etxeberria. Coincidentally, they were raised just a few miles from one another (Imanol hailed from Bergara).