Alvaro Odriozola Realizes a Dream on the Field

omidbasir- In September, Alvaro Odriozola expressed a heartfelt desire to have his twin daughters, born just over a year ago, see him play at Anoeta. After a summer where he was mostly sidelined at Real Sociedad and did not feature prominently under coach Sergio Francisco, Odriozola seized his opportunity during a match against Celta Vigo. “I don’t know how long I will be with Real, but my dream is for my daughters to see me run at Anoeta,” he admitted, apprehensive that this wish might not come true. However, on Sunday, that dream became a reality.

Odriozola made his season debut for Real Sociedad in the seventh round of LaLiga, stepping in after Jon Mikel Aramburu sustained an injury during warm-ups against Barcelona. With Aritz Elustondo also unavailable, Odriozola was called upon due to a lack of alternatives for the right-back position.

Having been on the transfer list over the summer, where he lost his number 2 jersey, he was eventually assigned the number 20 when a transfer did not materialize. Under the pressure of his precarious situation, he delivered an impressive performance that included a goal. Recognizing his challenging circumstances and the possibility of leaving the club in January, Odriozola made his emotional wish known in a post-match interview: “My dream is for my daughters to see me run at Anoeta.”

Odriozola and his wife, Inés Laffón, welcomed their twin daughters in December 2024. At just one month old, they were unable to attend his only home match in 2025 due to his struggles with injuries and subsequently not being included in the plans of coaches Sergio Francisco and Erik Bretos after the summer.

Despite being transfer-listed and having lost his number, Odriozola ultimately remained with the squad. With the arrival of coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, he gained more playing time and capitalized on it with three notable performances against Osasuna, Barcelona, and Celta— all at Anoeta. The latest match, held in the afternoon rather than at night, allowed his daughters to be in the stands, fulfilling his dream of them witnessing his play and later running alongside him on the pitch where he first made his remarkable debut nearly nine years ago.