Six moments that shaped Real Sociedad’s no 6, Aritz Elustondo | OneFootball

Aritz Elustondo will leave Real Sociedad after 311 matches to date, a career distilled into six defining moments.

According to Diario Vasco, he was on the Riazor terraces on the 2012-13 finale as La Real chased Europe. With Negredo scoring four against Sevilla, Griezmann’s 0-1 proved enough.

On 31 January 2015, still wearing 34, he scored inside the first minute at the Bernabéu. He had debuted two rounds earlier against Rayo, then faced Eibar, before Madrid turned it 4-1.

On 15 September 2018 he netted the first competitive goal at the remodelled Anoeta against Barcelona, also the club’s 3,300th in Primera. Agirretxe had the ceremonial strike in his tribute, yet Elustondo’s is the one in the records.

He inherited the no 6 in 2019 after Héctor Moreno left. Wearing the armband was an honour, shared with Asier Illarramendi and later Mikel Oyarzabal.

The 2020 final, staged in 2021 without fans, brought his tribute to his father on a shirt reading “zuregatik aita!! Maite zaitut!!”, later echoed by Turrientes in 2026.

With supporters back, the latest Copa ended on penalties after Pablo Marín’s kick, Elustondo having come on to help reach the shootout. In Donostia he led the bus parade with a microphone, saluted Imanol and delivered a 1x1 that Oyarzabal completed.

Source: Diario Vasco