Paul Abasolo Amantegi (; born 29 June 1984) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Playing career Born in Durango, Biscay, Abasolo spent seven years connected with Athletic Bilbao, six in the youth system and one with the farm team, CD Basconia.Abasolo: "Para mí es una gozada ver jugar a este Athletic" (Abasolo: "I'm having a blast watching this Athletic play"); Mundo Deportivo, 7 December 2011 (in Spanish) Released in 2003, he played the better part of the following six years in the Segunda División B and in his native Basque Country, the sole exception being SD Eibar in the first part of the 2004–05 season in the Segunda División, with that club loaning him consecutively to two other teams in division three, SD LemonaCuatro fichajes sobre la bocina (Four signings at the buzzer); Mundo Deportivo, 1 February 2005 (in Spanish) and Logroñés CF.El Logroñés CF inicia hoy el trabajo con 20 jugadores (Logroñés CF start working today with 20 players); El Correo, 23 July 2007 (in Spanish)
In the 2009–10 campaign, Abasolo competed for the second time in the second tier of Spanish football, scoring four goalsEl Real Unión se aprovecha de un Castellón que no levanta cabeza (Real Unión take advantage of sunken Castellón) ; Marca, 3 October 2009 (in Spanish)Un gran Real Unión dejó sin dos puntos al Betis (Great Real Unión rob Betis of two points) ; Marca, 11 October 2009 (in Spanish)El Real Unión cae 2–1 ante el Cádiz en el Carranza con un gol de Ogbeche (Real Unión fall 2–1 against Cádiz at the Carranza with Ogbeche goal) ; El Mundo, 25 October 2009 (in Spanish)El Real Unión cree en la salvación ante un 'novato' Numancia (Real Unión believe in survival against 'rookie' Numancia) ; Marca, 22 May 2010 (in Spanish) in 34 games for Real UniónPaul Abasolo no jugará con el Athletic (Paul Abasolo will not play for Athletic) ; Marca, 15 July 2009 (in Spanish) as they suffered relegation one year after being promoted.El Hércules vuelve a Primera catorce años después (Hércules return to Primera fourteen years later); ABC, 19 June 2010 (in Spanish) After a few months playing with a regional league side, he resumed his career in the third division with Lemona, Real Oviedo and Sestao River Club.Neira, Abasolo y Zarrabeitia, más calidad para el Portugalete (Neira, Abasolo and Zarrabeitia, more skill for Portugalete); El Desmarque, 2 June 2016 (in Spanish)
Conviction Convicted of sexual assault in July 2010 for having attacked three young women, Abasolo was acquitted on a fourth charge due to doubts of the alleged victim.Condenan a un ex futbolista del Real Unión a 3 años de cárcel por abusos sexuales (Real Unión footballer sentenced to 3 years in jail for sexual assault) ; El Mundo, 6 July 2010 (in Spanish) He was eventually pardoned by the Government of Spain, but this fact prevented him from being hired by his former club Athletic Bilbao.Abasolo, indultado de tres delitos de agresión sexual (Abasolo, pardoned on three sexual assault charges) ; La Nueva España, 21 January 2012 (in Spanish)Abasolo auzia: Indultuak zabaldutako zauriak (The Abasolo case: the wounds opened by the pardon) ; Argia, 1 April 2012 (in Basque)
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