Mikel Oyarzabal

Written by David Álvarez, Juan I. Irigoyen, Ladislao Moñino, Jon Rivas, Rafael Pineda and Juan L. Cudeiro for El País:

In March 2022 Mikel Oyarzabal sustained a cruciate ligament injury in training that kept him out until the last day of that year, and had some Real Sociedad fans wondering whether he could possibly return to his former self. This season he has provided the answer. Although his club signed several strikers first to cover his absence and then to play alongside him, Oyarzabal has once again been the key player in their forward line. “The doctor who did the operation told me that I would be back on the pitch in eight months, but that I would be recovering for two years,” he said, a perspective which meant he did not put undue pressure on himself. Neither did Imanol Alguacil, his coach, and little by little he has made his way back to his best, and into the national team. “Mikel, for us, signifies this connection we have with our people and our land,” says Roberto Olabe, his club’s sporting director. “He has also shown the other side of football, the more bitter side, the difficulty of a serious injury. He has given us a lesson in motivation, composure and focus on returning to play. We are proud that Mikel represents us to the world.”