Álex Remiro Explained

Álex Remiro
Full Name:Alejandro Remiro Gargallo[1]
Birth Date:24 March 1995
Birth Place:Cascante, Spain
Height:1.92 m
Position:Goalkeeper
Currentclub:Real Sociedad
Clubnumber:1
Youthclubs1:Aluvión
Youthyears2:2009–2013
Youthclubs2:Athletic Bilbao
Years1:2012–2014
Caps1:28
Goals1:0
Years2:2014–2016
Caps2:50
Goals2:0
Years3:2016–2019
Caps3:0
Goals3:0
Years4:2016–2017
Clubs4:Levante (loan)
Caps4:4
Goals4:0
Years5:2017–2018
Clubs5:Huesca (loan)
Caps5:41
Goals5:0
Years6:2019–
Caps6:174
Goals6:0
Nationalyears1:2013–2014
Nationalcaps1:5
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2024–
Nationalcaps2:1
Nationalgoals2:0
Club-Update:22:30, 18 August 2024 (UTC)
Nationalteam-Update:03:51, 23 March 2024 (UTC)

Alejandro "Álex" Remiro Gargallo (born 24 March 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Real Sociedad and the Spain national team.

Formed at Athletic Bilbao, he played as a senior with Basconia, Bilbao Athletic, Levante, Huesca and Real Sociedad. He won the 2020 Copa del Rey with the last club, totalling more than 200 appearances.

Remiro made his full debut with Spain in 2024, being part of the squad that won Euro 2024.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Cascante, Navarre, Remiro joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 2009, aged 14. He made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the 2012–13 season, in Tercera División.

On 26 May 2014, Remiro was promoted to the reserves in the Segunda División B.[2] He was named first choice after the departure of Kepa Arrizabalaga in January,[3] and finished the campaign with 23 appearances – play-offs included – as they returned to Segunda División after a 19-year absence.[4]

Remiro made his professional debut on 24 August 2015, starting in a 0–1 home loss against Girona FC.[5] In June 2016, he was promoted to the first team in La Liga.

Remiro was loaned to second-tier side Levante UD on 1 July 2016, for one year.[6] He was recalled by his parent club late into the following transfer window, however, due to an injury to Kepa.[7]

On 21 July 2017, Remiro moved to division two's SD Huesca on a one-year loan deal.[8] He played a major role in the Aragonese club achieving promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history, only missing one game in 42.[9] [10]

On his return to the San Mamés Stadium, Remiro seemed set to play in the first team after Kepa moved to Chelsea and the other established goalkeeper Iago Herrerín sustained an injury.[10] However, his representatives failed to agree on the terms of a new contract with the club, and in response his understudy Unai Simón was selected to play in the first match of the new campaign against CD Leganés;[11] with Simón becoming established in the team and no resolution to the contractual dispute, some weeks later it was confirmed that Remiro wished to leave Athletic and would be allowed to do so on 30 June 2019.[12]

Real Sociedad

Remiro agreed to a four-year deal with Athletic rivals Real Sociedad on 10 June 2019, effective as of 1 July.[13] He made his league debut on 27 September, keeping a clean sheet in a 3–0 home victory over Deportivo Alavés.[14]

In May 2020, Remiro tested positive for COVID-19.[15] The following 3 April, he started in the delayed final of the Copa del Rey, helping to defeat his first club Athletic 1–0 in Seville.[16] [17] On 31 October, he was consoled by former teammates at the end of another Basque derby due to his obvious distress after conceding a late equalising goal with a mistimed attempt to punch the ball clear, when a victory would have put Real Sociedad clear at the top of the table.[18]

Remiro played all 38 league matches in 2022–23 (50 overall), with Real finishing fourth and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.[19] His maiden appearance in the competition took place on 20 September 2023, in a 1–1 group-stage home draw against Inter Milan.[20]

International career

Remiro represented Spain at under-19 level.[21] He was first called up to the senior team in November 2023, for UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers against Cyprus and Georgia.[22]

On 15 March 2024, Remiro was picked for friendlies with Colombia and Brazil to be held later that month.[23] He won his first cap seven days later, coming on as a 46th-minute substitute for David Raya in the 1–0 loss to the former in London.[24] He was included in the squad for the Euro finals alongside Simón and Raya,[25] failing to make an appearance for the champions.[26]

Career statistics

Club

Club!rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Basconia2012–137070
2013–14210210
Total280000060280
Bilbao Athletic2014–1517060230
2015–16330200
Total500000060560
2016–1700000000
2017–18000000
2018–19000000
Total0000000000
Levante (loan)2016–17Segunda División 400040
Huesca (loan)2017–18Segunda División 41000410
Real Sociedad2019–20La Liga25070320
2020–21380207010480
2021–223502050420
2022–233804080500
2023–243704080490
2024–2510000010
Total1740190280102220
Career total2970190280703510

Honours

Levante

2016–17[27] [28]

Real Sociedad

2019–20[16] [17]

Spain

2024[29]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alejandro Remiro Gargallo. Real Sociedad. 2 August 2022.
  2. Web site: Registrations and de-registrations in Bilbao Athletic. Athletic Bilbao. 26 May 2014. 11 August 2015.
  3. News: La portería del Athletic tiene un gran presente y futuro. Athletic's goal has a great present and future. Diario AS. Nika. Cuenca. es. 18 March 2015. 11 August 2015.
  4. Web site: El Bilbao Athletic, a Segunda 19 años después y el Cádiz tendrá que esperar. Bilbao Athletic, into Segunda 19 years later and Cádiz will have to wait. EFE. es. 28 June 2015. 6 February 2018.
  5. News: El que la sigue, la consigue. He who wants it, gets it. Marca. Sergio. García-Muñoz. es. 24 August 2015. 24 August 2015.
  6. Web site: Alex Remiro's transfer. Athletic Bilbao. 1 July 2016. 4 July 2016.
  7. News: Retorno al pasado. Return to the past. Marca. Macu. Briones. es. 28 January 2017. 28 January 2017.
  8. Web site: Remiro on-loan. Athletic Bilbao. 21 July 2017. 22 July 2017.
  9. News: El Huesca es de Primera. Huesca are in Primera. Diario AS. Javier. Marín. es. 21 May 2018. 9 October 2018.
  10. News: La salida de Kepa facilita la continuidad de Remiro. Kepa's departure makes it easier for Remiro to continue. El Correo. Javier. Ortiz de Lazcano. es. 8 August 2018. 9 January 2019.
  11. News: Simón debuta con un paradón providencial. Simón debuts with a providential wonder save. Mundo Deportivo. Jon. Zubieta. es. 21 August 2018. 9 October 2018.
  12. Web site: Athletic Bilbao confirm Alex Remiro will leave. Football España. Colin. Millar. 3 October 2018. 9 October 2018.
  13. Web site: Agreement with Alejandro Remiro. Real Sociedad. 10 June 2019. 26 June 2019.
  14. News: Remiro's double debut was overshadowed by Oyarzabal and Odegaard. Marca. Óscar. Badallo. Conor. Clancy. 27 September 2019. 27 September 2019.
  15. News: Alex Remiro tests positive for coronavirus after serology test. Marca. 9 May 2020. 9 May 2020.
  16. News: Athletic Club 0–1 Real Sociedad: result, summary, goal. Diario AS. Paul. Reidy. 3 April 2021. 4 April 2021.
  17. News: Real Sociedad beat Athletic to claim Copa del Rey and Basque glory. The Guardian. Sid. Lowe. 3 April 2021. 4 April 2021.
  18. News: Muniain emerges from wild night to show why Basque derby is different. The Guardian. Sid. Lowe. 1 November 2021. 4 November 2021.
  19. News: Remiro se lleva el premio Txuleta. Remiro takes the Txuleta award. Noticias de Gipuzkoa. Mikel. Recalde. es. 6 June 2023. 21 September 2023.
  20. Web site: Definición de nota para estrenarse en Champions: el gol de Brais Méndez. Top-notch finish in his Champions debut: Brais Méndez's goal. El Desmarque. Noelia. Mejías. es. 20 September 2023. 21 September 2023.
  21. Web site: Unai López y Álex Remiro se quedan sin Eurocopa sub-19. No under-19 Eurocup for Unai López and Álex Remiro. Vavel. Daniel. Vergara Casas. es. 5 June 2014. 23 March 2024.
  22. News: Riquelme, Grimaldo, Aleix García y Remiro, novedades con España. Riquelme, Grimaldo, Aleix García and Remiro, new with Spain. Diario AS. Joaquín. Maroto. es. 10 November 2023. 23 March 2024.
  23. News: España reveló la lista de convocados para enfrentar a Colombia: hay varias sorpresas. Spain disclosed selected squad to take on Colombia: there are several surprises. Infobae. Daniel. Ospina. es. 15 March 2024. 23 March 2024.
  24. News: Vivian, Remiro y Cubarsí, amplían la nómina de debutantes con De la Fuente. Vivian, Remiro and Cubarsí, extend list of debutants with De la Fuente. Infobae. es. 22 March 2024. 23 March 2024.
  25. Web site: Euro 2024 squad lists: Hosts Germany, France, Netherlands, England, Scotland, Italy and more. Sky Sports. 12 June 2024. 13 June 2024.
  26. Web site: Spain 2 England 1: Oyarzabal the unlikely hero with late winner in Euro 2024 final. The Athletic. 14 July 2024. 15 July 2024.
  27. Web site: Muñiz vuelve a lo grande a Primera. Muñiz returns to Primera in style. Eurosport. Pedro. Zamora. es. 30 April 2017. 4 April 2021.
  28. Web site: El Levante es campeón de segunda. Levante are segunda champions. Vavel. Álvaro. Ruiz Valero. es. 20 May 2017. 4 April 2021.
  29. Web site: Spain 2–1 England. BBC Sport. Phil. McNulty. 14 July 2024. 14 July 2024.