Berenguer marks six years at Athletic after 268 games | OneFootball

Six years on from his Athletic debut, Berenguer has amassed 268 games and 37 goals for the club.

According to El Correo, he first featured on 4 October 2020 at Alavés, a 1-0 defeat, coming on in the 78th minute for Unai López on the right.

He had completed one training session after arriving from Torino and introduced himself at San Mamés two days later, saying he needed no convincing and that representing the club was a pleasure. The side were penultimate after matchday five and finished 10th, well short of Europe.

Athletic had tried to sign him in 2017 but Osasuna demanded the 9 million clause, rejecting 4 plus 1 in variables. He instead joined Torino for 5.5 with a condition that if he later moved to San Mamés, the Italians would owe 1.5 to Osasuna. The signing was announced on 3 October 2020.

Torino refused to pay, Osasuna went to FIFA, which backed them, and the Italians appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In 2023 the appeal was dismissed, ordering payment plus interest. Athletic had paid Torino 10 plus 1.5 in variables for Berenguer.

He is now the sixth most expensive signing in Athletic’s history after Iñigo Martínez 32, Yuri 24.75, Djaló 15, Ríos 12 and Areso 12. Since that debut he has been a regular for Garitano, Marcelino, Valverde and now Terzic, and should pass 300 appearances this season. His best scoring return was nine in his first campaign, while 2024-2025 brought a personal high of 53 games.

He will be remembered for the penalty in La Cartuja that delivered the Copa after 40 years, and he is into a seventh chapter in the season his contract ends.

Source: El Correo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”