Ainize Barea

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Barea and the second or maternal family name is Nuñez.

Ainize Barea Nuñez (born 25 January 1992), often known as Peke Barea, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a forward for Athletic Club.

Peke Barea

Personal information
Full name	Ainize Barea Nuñez
Date of birth	(1992-01-25) 25 January 1992 (age 32)^[1]
Place of birth	Arrigorriaga, Spain^[2]
Height	1.53 m (5 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Athletic Club
Number	22
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2015	Ugao
2015–2017	Santa Teresa	29	(7)
2017–2021	Deportivo La Coruña	80+	(54+)
2021–	Athletic Club	45	(7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:14, 7 February 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Barea started her career at CD Ugao (based in Ugao-Miraballes in southern Biscay).^[3] Due to the fact that there were two other footballers with the forename Ainize at the club, Barea earned the nickname 'Peke', a reference to the fact that she was only 153cm tall. After playing in the regional Basque League with Ugao for eight years, she transferred to Santa Teresa, who were playing in the Primera División, the top tier of Spanish football.^[4] Her two seasons at Badajoz-based Santa Teresa were affected negatively by a knee injury and she joined Deportivo La Coruña afterwards, signing a contract with them on 14 June 2017.^[5][6][7] She would go on to score 84 goals in 106 games for the club.^[8] She remained with Deportivo until July 2021, at which point, she transferred to Athletic Club.^[9]

International career

Barea earned her first call up for the Spain national team in a UEFA Euro 2022 qualifying match against Moldova in September 2020.^[10] She did not play in the match.^[11]

Personal life

Until the age of 12, Barea played both football and Basque pelota.^[4] Barea remarked that her family were supportive of her career in sports.^[5] In 2019, Barea took part in a strike with the aim of improving the salaries paid to women's footballers in Spain. She is a professional footballer as she derives her entire income from the sport.^[12]

References

1. Ainize Barea at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
2. "Peke". BDFutbol. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
3. "Peke". Txapeldunak. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
4. Menayo, David (1 February 2016). "Ainize Barea, de pelotari a futbolista de Primera". Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
5. Jiménez, Mayca (10 October 2019). "Peke: "En el Depor he vuelto a disfrutar del fútbol"". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
6. "Ainize Barea, 'Peke': "Al Athletic siempre lo he tenido ahí, pero en el Dépor apuestan por mí"". Deia (in Spanish). 1 October 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
7. "Peke, segundo fichaje del Deportivo Abanca" (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
8. "El Athletic ficha a Ainize Barea 'Peke', goleadora del Deportivo" (in Basque). Naiz. 15 July 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
9. Zaballa, Carlos (27 July 2021). "Peke: "Si no coges este tren, se puede pasar de largo"". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.
10. "España quiere dar en Moldavia un paso hacia la Eurocopa". El Correo (in Spanish). 18 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
11. "Goleada escandalosa de España dedicada a Virginia Torrecilla". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 19 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
12. Heredia, Sergio (24 October 2019). ""¿La huelga de las futbolistas? Hay que pensar en el futuro"". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 September 2021.

External links

• Ainize Barea at Athletic Club
• Ainize Barea at Soccerway
• Ainize Barea at ESPN FC
• Ainize Barea at FBref.com