Áron Yaakobishvili
{{Short description|Hungarian footballer (born 2006)}}
{{Hungarian name|Yaakobishvili Áron}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Áron Yaakobishvili
|image =
|fullname =
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2006|3|6|df=y}}
|birth_place = Budapest, Hungary{{WorldFootball.net|aron-yaakobishvili}}
|currentclub = Barcelona B
|clubnumber = 41
|position = Goalkeeper
|youthyears1 = 2012–2014
|youthclubs1 = Baráti Bőrlabda
|youthyears2 = 2014–2016
|youthclubs2 = Angyalföldi Sportiskola
|youthyears3 = 2016–2017
|youthclubs3 = MTK Budapest
|youthyears4 = 2017–2018
|youthclubs4 = Atlètic Sant Just
|youthyears5 = 2018–
|youthclubs5 = Barcelona
|years1 = 2024– |clubs1 = Barcelona B |caps1 = 3 |goals1 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2022–2023
|nationalteam1 = Hungary U17
|nationalcaps1 = 8
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|nationalyears2 = 2024–
|nationalteam2 = Hungary U18
|nationalcaps2 = 1
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|club-update = 5 April 2025
|nationalteam-update = 17 May 2024
}}
Áron Yaakobishvili ({{lang-ka|აარონ იაკობიშვილი}}; {{langx|he|ארון יעקובישווילי}}; born 6 March 2006) is a Hungarian professional footballer currently playing as a goalkeeper for Barcelona B.
Early life
Yaakobishvili was born in Budapest, Hungary to a Georgian Jewish father; his father was born in Georgia, and is a dual Georgian-Israeli citizen whilst his mother is Hungarian.{{cite web|url=https://www.sport5.co.il/articles.aspx?FolderID=285&docID=440997|title=שוער העתיד של ברצלונה ואחיו שיכולים לשחק בנבחרת ישראל|trans-title=The future goalkeeper of Barcelona and his brother who can play for the Israeli national team|first1=Moti|last1=Pashchatsky|first2=Elhanan|last2=Malamud|date=22 June 2023|access-date=1 August 2023|website=sport5.co.il|language=he}}{{cite web|url=https://nb1.hu/sztori/nem-lonek-eleg-eroset-lewandowskiekkal-keszult-a-barca-magyar-kapusa|title="Nem lőnek elég erőset!" – Lewandowskiékkal készült a Barca Magyar kapusa|trans-title="They don't shoot hard enough!" - Barca's Hungarian goalkeeper trained with Lewandowski|date=17 May 2023|access-date=1 August 2023|website=nb1.hu|language=hu}} His elder brother, Antal, is also a footballer, and currently plays for fellow Spanish club Girona.{{cite web|url=https://magyarnemzet.hu/sport/2022/03/magyar-futballista-edzett-az-fc-barcelona-elso-csapataval|title=Magyar futballista edzett az FC Barcelona első csapatával|trans-title=Hungarian football player trained with the first team of FC Barcelona|date=25 March 2022|access-date=24 October 2022|website=magyarnemzet.hu|language=hu}}
Club career
Yaakobishvili joined local side Baráti Bőrlabda at the age of six in 2012, before moving to Angyalföldi Sportiskola two years later. He spent a season with MTK Budapest before moving to Spain in 2017 after his mother had accepted a job in Barcelona.{{cite web|url=https://asidse.hu/2022/03/25/labdarugas-buszkesegunk-yaakobishvili-aron/|title=Labdarúgás: büszkeségünk, Yaakobishvili Áron|trans-title=Football: our pride, Áron Yaakobishvili|date=25 March 2022|accessdate=24 October 2022|website=asidse.hu|language=hu}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/quien-es-aron-yaakobishvili-13423473|title=¿Quién es Aron Yaakobishvili?|trans-title=Who is Aron Yaakobishvili?|first=Adrià|last=Fernández|date=24 March 2022|accessdate=24 October 2022|website=sport.es|language=Spanish}}{{cite web|url=https://www.eurobarca.hu/hirek/valogatott/20230523-yaakobishvili-aron-ugy-erzem-tudom-kezelni-hogy-itthon-en-vagyok-a-barcas-srac/|title=Yaakobishvili Áron: "Úgy érzem tudom kezelni, hogy itthon én vagyok a barçás srác"|trans-title=Áron Yaakobishvili: "I feel like I can handle the fact that I'm the guy with the bar at home"|date=23 May 2023|access-date=1 August 2023|website=eurobarca.hu|language=hu}} On his arrival in Spain, he had a short spell with amateur side Atlètic Sant Just, before being invited on a three-day trial with Barcelona the following year, joining the club after impressing coaches.{{cite web|url=https://www.ccma.cat/esport3/yaakobishvili-el-jove-porter-que-sha-entrenat-amb-el-primer-equip-del-barca/noticia/3154285/|title=Yaakobishvili, el jove porter que s'ha entrenat amb el primer equip del Barça|trans-title=Yaakobishvili, the young goalkeeper who has trained with the Barça first team|date=24 March 2022|accessdate=24 October 2022|website=ccma.cat|language=Catalan}}
Having progressed through Barcelona's La Masia academy, he signed his first professional contract with the club in February 2022.{{cite web|url=https://nb1.hu/hazai-labdarugas/barcelona-uj-szerzodest-kapott-a-magyar-tehetseg|title=Barcelona: új szerződést kapott a magyar tehetség|trans-title=Barcelona: the Hungarian talent received a new contract|first=Benjámin|last=Nagy|date=5 February 2022|accessdate=24 October 2022|website=nb1.hu|language=hu}} In March of the same year, he trained with the Barcelona first team.{{cite web|url=https://beteve.cat/esports/aron-yaakobishvili-porter-cadet-entrena-fc-barcelona/|title=Aron Yaakobishvili, un porter de 15 anys amb el primer equip del Barça|trans-title=Aron Yaakobishvili, a 15-year-old goalkeeper with Barça's first team|date=24 March 2022|access-date=24 October 2022|website=beteve.cat|language=Catalan}} On 11 October 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2023/oct/11/next-generation-2023-60-of-the-best-young-talents-in-world-football|title=Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football|first1=Marcus|last1=Christenson|first2=Steven|last2=Bloor|first3=Garry|last3=Blight|date=11 October 2023|access-date=11 October 2023|website=theguardian.com}}
He was first included into the senior team's match day squad on 25 November 2023 for a La Liga game against Rayo Vallecano.{{cite web|publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/11/25/spain/primera-division/rayo-vallecano/futbol-club-barcelona/4090981/|title=Rayo Vallecano v Barcelona game report|date=25 November 2023}} Yaakobishvili made his senior debut for the reserve team Barcelona Atlètic in the third-tier Primera Federación on 27 September 2024 against Tarazona.{{cite web|publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/09/27/spain/segunda-b/sd-tarazona/futbol-club-barcelona-ii/4453660/|title=Tarazona v Barcelona Atlètic game report|date=27 September 2024}}
International career
Yaakobishvili has represented Hungary at youth international level. In June 2023, it was reported by Israeli sports journalism outlet Sport 5 that Yaakobishvili and his brother were attempting to gain Israeli citizenship so as to represent the nation at international level. However, their agent Attila Georgi denied these rumours, stating that the brothers were Hungarian and that they wanted to represent Hungary at international level.{{cite web|url=https://sportal.blikk.hu/labdarugas/valogatott/utanpotlas/cafol-a-menedzser-a-yaakobishvili-testverek-nem-valtanak-orszagot/2023062806472683781|title=Cáfol a menedzser: a Yaakobishvili testvérek nem váltanak országot|trans-title=The agent denies: the Yaakobishvili brothers are not changing countries|date=28 June 2023|access-date=1 August 2023|website=sportal.blikk.hu|language=hu}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{FC Barcelona Atlètic squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yaakobishvili, Aron}}
Category:Hungarian people of Georgian-Jewish descent
Category:Jewish Hungarian sportspeople
Category:Footballers from Budapest
Category:Hungarian men's footballers
Category:Hungary men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:MTK Budapest FC players
Category:FC Barcelona Atlètic players
Category:Primera Federación players
Category:Hungarian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Hungarian expatriate sportspeople in Spain