Athletic Bilbao's Aymeric Laporte Makes Senior Debut Against Israeli Club Ironi Kiryat Shmona

Aymeric Laporte, now a world champion and defender for Athletic Bilbao, made his senior debut in a European League match against Israeli club Ironi Kiryat Shmona on November 28, 2012. At the time, Laporte was a youth player who had joined Bilbao's academy in 2010 amid local debate over his eligibility due to his limited Basque ties. Coached by Marcelo Bielsa, who later managed Uruguay in the World Cup, Laporte played the full 90 minutes in Bilbao's 2-0 victory over the team led by Barak Bachar.

The match featured notable players on both sides, including Israeli players Ben Vahba and Elad Gabai for Kiryat Shmona, and future Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and former Maccabi Tel Aviv player Enrique Saborit on Bilbao's bench. Laporte and Saborit went on to share 32 matches together between 2012 and 2018. Laporte's career has since flourished, winning multiple Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, the European Championship, the World Cup with Spain, and the UEFA Nations League.