# Iker Undabarrena

Iker Undabarrena Martínez (born 18 May 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Malaysia Super League club Johor Darul Ta'zim. His previous clubs include Bilbao Athletic, Tenerife, Sabadell and Leganés in Spain, and Tondela in Portugal.

## Club career
### Athletic Bilbao

Born in Gorliz, Biscay, Undabarrena joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 2005, aged 10. He made his senior debut with farm team Basconia of the Tercera División, in the 2012–13 season. On 28 November 2012, aged 17, Undabarrena made his official debut with the main squad, coming on as a substitute for Igor Martínez in the 77th minute of a 2–0 away win against Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona in the campaign's UEFA Europa League.
Having moved up to play for the reserves in summer 2013, Undabarrena played a prominent role in the team's promotion to the second tier the following season, starting 28 regular league matches and all six of the successful play-offs run.
Almost three years after his European bow, Undabarrena made his domestic professional debut on 24 August 2015, starting in a 0–1 home loss against Girona. He appeared in almost all of the domestic league matches until 13 February 2016, when he suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a fixture against Real Valladolid, requiring a lengthy rehabilitation. Returning to the team eight months later at the end of October, he went on to take part in the majority of the remaining matches during 2016–17 before being withdrawn from the final few games as a precaution to complete his recovery.
Undabarrena started the first four fixtures of the next campaign, but then suffered another ACL tear during training, this time to his right knee. In the same period, similar injuries were endured by Aitor Seguín, Undabarrena's long-time teammate (he also joined Athletic's academy as a 10-year-old in 2005) which hampered the development of both players and damaged their hopes of moving up to the senior squad; during Undabarrena's lengthy absences, midfielder Mikel Vesga was promoted instead.
Despite making a successful return to the B-team with ten appearances and one goal between March and May (including two in the promotion play-offs), Undabarrena was released by Athletic Bilbao on the expiry of his contract on 1 July 2018, ending a 13-year association with the club.

### Tenerife

On 3 July 2018, free agent Undaberrena agreed a deal to join second-tier Tenerife (at the time coached by former Athletic Bilbao player Joseba Etxeberria) on a three-year contract.

### Sabadell

On 31 August 2020, Undaberrena moved to fellow league team Sabadell.

### Tondela

Undabarrena moved abroad for the first time on 6 August 2021, signing a two-year deal at Portuguese club Tondela under fellow Basque Pako Ayestarán. He made his Primeira Liga debut two days later in a 3–0 opening day win over C.D. Santa Clara, as a late substitute. On 23 October, he was sent off within half an hour of a 3–1 lost to visitors Porto, for a foul on Mehdi Taremi.

### Leganés

On 26 August 2022, after suffering relegation, Undabarrena returned to Spain after signing a one-year deal with Leganés in division two. Having played regularly, he signed another contract for the 2023–24 Segunda División campaign which ended with the club being promoted to LaLiga as champions, but he was one of several squad members whose deals were not renewed.

### Johor Darul Ta'zim

On 11 August 2024, Undabarrena moved to Southeast Asia to joined Malaysian Super League giants Johor Darul Ta'zim.

## International career

Undabarrena started representing Spain at under-17 level, appearing in friendlies against Belgium and Montenegro.

## Personal life

He is not related to Eneko Undabarrena, also a midfielder who played for several clubs in the region during the same period.

## Career statistics

    As of 4 February 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Athletic Bilbao | 2012–13 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Basconia | 2012–13 | Tercera División | 27 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 27 | 1 |
| Basconia | 2013–14 | Tercera División | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| Basconia | Total | Total | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Bilbao Athletic | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 21 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | 0 |
| Bilbao Athletic | 2014–15 | Segunda División B | 28 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Bilbao Athletic | 2015–16 | Segunda División | 23 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23 | 0 |
| Bilbao Athletic | 2016–17 | Segunda División B | 21 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | 2 |
| Bilbao Athletic | 2017–18 | Segunda División B | 12 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Bilbao Athletic | Total | Total | 105 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 113 | 3 |
| Tenerife | 2018–19 | Segunda División | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 28 | 0 |
| Tenerife | 2019–20 | Segunda División | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 22 | 0 |
| Tenerife | Total | Total | 46 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
| Sabadell | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 38 | 2 |
| Tondela | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 32 | 2 |
| Tondela | 2022–23 | Liga Portugal 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tondela | Total | Total | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| Leganés | 2022–23 | Segunda División | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 34 | 0 |
| Leganés | 2023–24 | Segunda División | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 33 | 1 |
| Leganés | Total | Total | 65 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 1 |
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2024–25 | Malaysia Super League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | – | 13 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 317 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 345 | 7 |
* ↑ Appearance in 2012–13 UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in 2015 Segunda División B play-offs
* ↑ Appearances in 2018 Segunda División B play-offs
* ↑ Appearance in 2022 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
* ↑ Appearances in 2024–25 AFC Champions League Elite

## Honours

Tondela
* Taça de Portugal: runner-up 2021–22
Leganés
* Segunda División: 2023–24