Urko Pardo


Urko Rafael Pardo Goas is a former Spanish professional footballer of Basque origin who represented the Cyprus national team. He played as a goalkeeper.
Formed at Barcelona, he spent most of his career in the Cypriot First Division, mainly with APOEL with which he won eight titles including five league championships. He also competed professionally in Greece and Romania.
After being awarded citizenship, Pardo represented the Cyprus national team.

Club career

Barcelona

Born in Brussels to a Basque father and a Galician mother, Pardo began his football career with R.S.C. Anderlecht, finishing his formation with FC Barcelona but never making it past its B-side. He split the 2005–06 [Segunda División B|2005–06 season] – always on loan – between FC Cartagena and CE Sabadell FC with both teams in the third division, suffering relegation with the latter.

Rapid București / Greece

In the summer of 2007, released by Barcelona, Pardo signed with Greece's Iraklis, moving the following year to FC Rapid București in Romania but appearing rarely in his first season.
In Super League Greece|2009–10], another loan ensued as Pardo moved to Olympiacos F.C. also in Greece, playing just three Super League games in his first year. The move was extended by Rapid for the following season, and he appeared more regularly, being the most used player in his position.

Cyprus

In the last day of the 2011 summer transfer window, Pardo signed a two-year contract with Cyprus champions APOEL FC. He made his official debut on 19 October against FC Porto, replacing injured Dionisis Chiotis early into the second half of a 1–1 away draw in that season's UEFA Champions League, and added a further four appearances as the club 2011–12 [UEFA Champions League knockout phase#Quarter-finals|reached the quarter-finals] for the first time ever.
In 2014–15, Pardo appeared in every 2014–15 UEFA [Champions League group stage|group stage match] in APOEL's third Champions League campaign. On 26 May 2016 both parties agreed on a two-year contract extension, with an option for a third year.
On 2 September 2017, aged 34, free agent Pardo joined Alki Oroklini. On 23 August 2019, he moved to Cypriot Second Division team Ermis Aradippou FC. Pardo joined Cypriot Third Division team Olympias Lympion for the 2020–21 season.

International career

In 2017, Pardo became a naturalized Cypriot citizen. He won his first cap on 13 November of that year at the age of 34, in a 3–2 away friendly defeat against Armenia.

Honours

Olympiacos
APOEL
Ermis Aradippou