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

Aymeric Laporte, the Athletic Bilbao defender and World Cup winner with Spain, made his senior debut in a European competition match against Israeli club Ironi Kiryat Shmona on November 28, 2012. The game, part of the Europa League, ended in a 2-0 victory for Bilbao and was coached by Marcelo Bielsa, who later managed Uruguay in the World Cup. Laporte, who joined Bilbao's youth academy in 2010 amid local debate over his Basque ties, played the full 90 minutes in this match.

The lineup for Ironi Kiryat Shmona included players such as Danny Amos, Ben Vahba, and Elad Gabay, while Bilbao fielded notable names like Raúl, Mikel San José, and Fernando Llorente. On the bench for Bilbao were Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and former Maccabi Tel Aviv player Enrique Saborit, who later played alongside Laporte in 32 matches between 2012 and 2018.

Laporte's career has since flourished, achieving major titles including the Champions League, European Championship, World Cup, Nations League, and six Premier League trophies. His debut against an Israeli team marks a significant early milestone in a distinguished football career.