Oscar de Marcos

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

De Marcos joined Athletic Bilbao in July 2009 for €350,000, initially destined for the reserve squad but quickly impacting the first team. He made his debut on 6 August 2009 against Young Boys and scored against Barcelona ten days later in the Supercopa de España. A defining moment occurred on 17 December 2011, when he played roughly one hour against Real Zaragoza with a tear in his scrotum requiring 25 stitches. He famously scored both legs of the Europa League round of 16 against Manchester United in the 2011–12 season, helping Athletic reach the final where they lost to Atlético Madrid. After veteran Andoni Iraola left, de Marcos became the regular right-back under Ernesto Valverde. In November 2016, a left foot injury sidelined him for two months; he returned on 22 January 2017 to score in a draw against Atlético Madrid. His career faced further setbacks with ankle and foot injuries in late 2017. On 29 November 2020, he became the 19th player to reach 400 appearances for the club. In October 2024, he passed Txetxu Rojo into third place on the all-time appearance list.

In Their Own Story

On 22 February 2025, de Marcos announced his retirement at the end of the season. The following day, in a 7–1 home victory over Real Valladolid, he overtook Iker Muniain to become the outfield player with the most appearances (561) in club history, trailing only goalkeeper José Ángel Iribar. His final appearance came in a home fixture against Barcelona where he finished with exactly 573 official matches (472 starts). The match incorporated a farewell ceremony and saw him pass the captain's armband to Iñaki Williams. The number '18' squad, worn by only three players in the previous three decades—Bittor Alkiza, Carlos Gurpegui, and de Marcos—was subsequently assigned to Mikel Jauregizar.

Reader's Guide

De Marcos began his career at Alavés, making his professional debut on 21 December 2008 against Tenerife. He moved to Athletic Bilbao in July 2009, signing a four-year deal. His role evolved from forward to full-back and central midfield under Marcelo Bielsa. Key milestones include extending his contract until June 2016 with a €32 million release clause, and again on 13 October 2014 until 2019 with a €40 million buyout. He reached 500 appearances for Athletic on the opening matchday of 2023–24 against Real Madrid at age 34. Internationally, he was called up to the Spain squad in November 2015 as a replacement for injured Sergio Ramos and Juanfran but did not play. He also featured for the Basque Country regional team. Off the pitch, de Marcos is known for humanitarian work, including weekly visits to sick children in local hospitals and charity trips to Africa and South America. In 2019, he authored a book titled 'Togo' describing his first year at the club and a trip to West Africa. He is red-green colour blind.

Did You Know?

• De Marcos played roughly one hour against Real Zaragoza on 17 December 2011 with a tear in his scrotum that required 25 stitches.
• He is red-green colour blind, which has occasionally caused difficulty making quick visual decisions during matches.
• On 2 February 2020, he equalised seconds after Antoine Griezmann's opener against Barcelona to secure a 3–2 win in the Spanish Supercup final.
• His number '18' squad was worn by only three players in the previous three decades: Bittor Alkiza, Carlos Gurpegui, and de Marcos himself.