Gonzalo Ávila Gordón (born 26 January 1998), known as Pipa, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Burgos CF, on loan from Bulgarian club PFC Ludogorets Razgrad.

Pipa
Pipa in 2022
Personal information
Full name Gonzalo Ávila Gordón[1]
Date of birth (1998-01-26) 26 January 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Esparreguera, Spain
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
Burgos
(on loan from Ludogorets Razgrad)
Youth career
Esparreguera
2008–2017 Espanyol
2009–2010Damm (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Espanyol B 59 (4)
2018–2020 Espanyol 7 (0)
2019Gimnàstic (loan) 18 (0)
2020–2022 Huddersfield Town 48 (2)
2022–2023 Olympiacos 11 (0)
2023– Ludogorets Razgrad 14 (0)
2023–2024West Bromwich Albion (loan) 13 (0)
2024–Burgos (loan) 0 (0)
International career
2016–2017 Spain U19 5 (0)
2016–2017 Spain U20 4 (0)
2019–2021 Spain U21 6 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 April 2024 (UTC)

Career

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Espanyol

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Born in Esparraguera, Barcelona, Catalonia, Pipa finished his formation with RCD Espanyol, after previous stints at CF Damm and FS Esparraguera.[2] He made his senior debut with the reserves on 20 February 2016, starting in a 0–1 Segunda División B away loss against Valencia CF Mestalla.[3]

Pipa was a regular starter for the B-side during the 2016–17 season, which ended in relegation. On 22 May 2017 he renewed his contract until 2022,[4] and scored his first senior goal on 27 August by netting the last in a 3–0 home win against FC Ascó in the Tercera División.[5]

On 28 May 2018, Pipa was definitely promoted to the main squad in La Liga ahead of the 2018–19 campaign.[6] The following 2 January, after failing to appear in a single match for the Pericos, he was loaned to Segunda División strugglers Gimnàstic de Tarragona until June.[7]

Pipa made his professional debut on 6 January 2019, starting as a right winger in a 1–0 home win against Córdoba CF.[8] He was a regular starter for the club during his six-month spell, suffering team relegation.

Upon returning to Espanyol, Pipa was handed the number 2 jersey, and made his first-team debut on 15 August 2019, starting in a 3–0 home defeat of FC Luzern in the UEFA Europa League.[9] He made his top-tier debut on 26 September, replacing Wu Lei in a 1–1 away draw against RC Celta de Vigo.[10]

Huddersfield Town

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On 7 September 2020, Pipa signed a three-year contract with EFL Championship side Huddersfield Town, for an undisclosed fee.[11] He scored his first goal for Huddersfield in a 3–0 win over Millwall on 31 October.[12]

Ludogorets

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On 1 February 2023, he was announced as a new signing of Bulgarian club PFC Ludogorets Razgrad.[13] On 1 September, he returned to England after agreeing to a loan deal with West Bromwich Albion.[14]

On 30 August 2024, Pipa returned to Spain and its second division, after joining Burgos CF on a one-year loan deal.[15]

Career statistics

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As of match played 25 August 2022[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Espanyol B 2015–16 Segunda División B 1 0 1 0
2016–17 Segunda División B 31 0 31 0
2017–18 Tercera División 27 4 27 4
Total 59 4 59 4
Espanyol 2018–19 La Liga 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019–20 La Liga 7 0 2 0 4[a] 0 13 0
Total 7 0 2 0 4 0 13 0
Gimnàstic (loan) 2018–19 Segunda División 18 0 0 0 18 0
Huddersfield Town 2020–21 Championship 37 2 0 0 0 0 37 2
2021–22 Championship 11 0 3 0 0 0 14 0
Total 48 2 3 0 0 0 51 2
Olympiacos 2022–23 Super League Greece 11 0 0 0 9 0 20 0
Career total 143 6 5 0 0 0 13 0 161 6
  1. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

References

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  1. ^ "Notification of shirt numbers: Huddersfield Town" (PDF). English Football League. p. 34. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  2. ^ ""Estoy centrado en el presente"" [I am focused in the present] (in Spanish). Diario La Grada. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  3. ^ "Pipa debuta en Segunda B" [Pipa debuts in Segunda B] (in Spanish). Vavel. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  4. ^ "¡'Pipa' 2022!" [Pipe, 2022!] (in Spanish). RCD Espanyol. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  5. ^ "El filial perico juega, sufre, disfruta y vence" [The reserve team perico play, suffer, enjoy and win] (in Spanish). Diario La Grada. 14 January 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Álex López, Pipa y Puado, jugadores de Primera" [Álex López, Pipa and Puado, Primera players] (in Spanish). Marca. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  7. ^ "Pipa arriba cedit pel RCD Espanyol" [Pipa arrives on loan from RCD Espanyol] (in Catalan). Gimnàstic Tarragona. 2 January 2019. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Un golazo de falta da tres puntos vitales a los tarraconenses" [A great free kick goal gives three vital points to the Tarragona side] (in Spanish). Marca. 6 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Wu Lei, el debutante Campuzano y la cantera arrasan a la morriña" [Wu Lei, the debutant Campuzano and the cantera wash away the homesickness] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Mina rescata al Celta en el minuto 95" [Mina rescues Celta in the 95th minute] (in Spanish). Marca. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  11. ^ "Transfer: Pipa joins from Espanyol!". Huddersfield Town AFC. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Millwall 0-3 Huddersfield". BBC. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  13. ^ Dimova, Vyara, ed. (1 February 2023). ""Лудогорец" официално подписа с испанския защитник Пипа" (in Bulgarian). bgonair.bg. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Pipa joins on loan from Ludogorets". West Bromwich Albion FC. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Gonzalo Ávila "Pipa", nuevo jugador del Burgos CF" [Gonzalo Ávila "Pipa", new player of Burgos CF] (in Spanish). Burgos CF. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  16. ^ Pipa at Soccerway
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  • Pipa at BDFutbol
  • Pipa at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
  • Pipa at Soccerway