Marta Unzué
.jpg) Unzué in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marta Unzué Urdániz | ||
| Date of birth | 4 July 1988[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Berriozar, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder, right-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2006 | Osasuna | ||
| 2006–2020 | Barcelona | 278+ | (21+) |
| 2018–2020 | → Athletic Bilbao (loan) | 39 | (2) |
| 2020–2025 | Athletic Bilbao | 74 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2014– | Basque Country | 5 | (0) |
| 2017– | Navarre | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Marta Unzué Urdániz (born 4 July 1988) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and occasionally as a right-back.
She spent over a decade with Primera División (Liga F) club Barcelona, winning several trophies and featuring in the UEFA Women's Champions League;[2] The latter years of her career were spent at Athletic Bilbao.[3]
Club career
[edit]Unzué arrived at FC Barcelona in 2006 from CA Osasuna, along with her twin sister Elba.[4][5] The team performed poorly and were relegated in her first season. Elba left the club after four years, but Marta remained and was appointed captain after the departure of Vicky Losada in 2015.[6] She maintained her role of first captain for two years.
On 24 July 2018, a deal was agreed for 30-year-old Unzué to join Athletic Bilbao on a two-year loan contract.[7] At the end of her loan contract, in April 2020, she announced her departure from Barcelona to transfer permanently to Athletic.[8] She left having recorded the second-most appearances of all time for Barcelona with 360.[9] Subsequently she also became captain of the Bilbao club.
In July 2025, having not played for two years[a] due to injury (primarily a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament of her right knee in May 2023), Unzué announced her retirement.[12]
Education
[edit]Unzué obtained a degree in physical activity and sport science in 2010, and a master's degree in nutrition and food in 2014 from the University of Barcelona. She also has a Level 2 certificate in football coaching.[13][5]
Personal life
[edit]Unzue's uncle is Movistar Team general manager, Eusebio Unzué. Her other uncle, Juan Carlos Unzué played football for CA Osasuna, FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC as a goalkeeper.[14][6]
Honours
[edit]FC Barcelona
- Primera División: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Segunda División: 2007–08
- Copa de la Reina de Fútbol: 2011,[5] 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018
- Copa Catalunya (8): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
References
[edit]- ^ The BDFutbol website records Unzué as appearing in a fixture between Athletic and Barcelona in January 2025,[10] but other sources confirm it was Maite Valero who took part.[11]
- ^ "Barca Femeni". Archived from the original on 16 September 2015.
- ^ Profile in UEFA's website
- ^ Unzué, BDFutbol
- ^ Elba, BDFutbol
- ^ a b c "Marta y Elba Unzué, reinas del fútbol" [Marta and Elba Unzué, queens of football] (in Spanish). Noticias de Navarra. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ a b Villarrubia, Begoña (30 October 2015). "Las herederas de Unzué" [The heiresses of Unzué] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
- ^ "Marta Unzué, new player of Athletic Club". Athletic Bilbao. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ "Marta Unzué se despide del Barça y seguirá en el Athletic" [Marta Unzué leaves Barça and signs for Athletic]. sport.es (in Spanish). SPORT. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ "Melanie tops all-time ranking for appearances". fcbarcelona.com. FC Barcelona. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ Athletic Club 0-2 Barcelona, BDFutbol
- ^ Athletic Club 0-2 FC Barcelona, Athletic Club
- ^ Atenea García Martínez (4 July 2025). "Marta Unzué anuncia que se retira después de dos años sin jugar" [Marta Unzué announces that she retires after two years without playing]. sport.es (in Spanish). Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-unzue-urdaniz-9a537171 [self-published source]
- ^ "Juan Carlos Unzué. Un guardameta legendario" (in Spanish). Sevillismo en Vena. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
External links
[edit]
- Marta Unzué – UEFA competition record (archive)
- Marta Unzué at Athletic Club
- Marta Unzué at FC Barcelona (archived)
- Marta Unzué at FBref.com
- Marta Unzué at Soccerway
- Marta Unzué on Twitter}
  | This biographical article related to women's association football in Spain is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1988 births
- Living people
- People from Cuenca de Pamplona
- Spanish women's footballers
- Footballers from Navarre
- Women's association football fullbacks
- Women's association football midfielders
- Liga F players
- FC Barcelona Femení players
- Athletic Club (women) players
- 21st-century Spanish sportswomen
- CA Osasuna Femenino players
- Spanish twins
- University of Barcelona alumni
- Spanish women's football biography stubs