Aitor Larrazábal
Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao (born 21 June 1971) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played solely for Athletic Bilbao, currently manager of Primera Federación club SD Logroñés.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao | ||
| Date of birth | 21 June 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Bilbao, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Logroñés (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1989 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1991 | Bilbao Athletic | 43 | (2) |
| 1990–2004 | Athletic Bilbao | 390 | (39) |
| Total | 433 | (41) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990 | Spain U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 1990–1991 | Spain U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 1991 | Spain U23 | 3 | (0) |
| 1997 | Basque Country | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Gatika | ||
| 2009–2011 | Lemona | ||
| 2011–2015 | Athletic Bilbao (youth) | ||
| 2016 | Marbella | ||
| 2016–2017 | Amorebieta | ||
| 2017–2019 | Barakaldo | ||
| 2019–2020 | Salamanca | ||
| 2020 | Barakaldo | ||
| 2022–2023 | Gernika | ||
| 2024– | Logroñés | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
A left-back of attacking penchant, he appeared in 445 competitive matches for his only club and was also a penalty kick specialist, scoring at least one La Liga goal in 13 of his 14 seasons.[1][2]
Playing career edit
Larrazábal was born in Bilbao, Biscay. Having joined Athletic Bilbao's youth ranks at 11, he started playing professionally with its reserves in the Segunda División, and made his first-team debut on 2 September 1990 in a 1–0 away loss against CD Tenerife,[3] finishing his first year in La Liga with 18 games.
From then onwards, Larrazábal was an undisputed starter for the Basques, scoring and assisting alike. In the 1997–98 season, as Bilbao finished runners-up, he scored a career-best seven league goals, being instrumental as his team qualified for the subsequent edition of the UEFA Champions League, where he featured, for instance, in both group stage draws against Juventus FC, although they eventually ranked last.[4][5]
After the emergence of Asier del Horno (another Lezama youth graduate) in the 2002–03 campaign, Larrazábal still featured prominently in his last two seasons – 36 matches, three goals – but eventually retired from the game in May 2004 at the age of 33, after a two-decade link with a sole club.[6]
Coaching career edit
Larrazábal subsequently became a coach: after starting in amateur football, he joined lowly SD Lemona (Basque Country) from Segunda División B in 2009, leading the side to the sixth position in his first year and narrowly missing out on play-off qualification. After a second season in Lemoa in which the team reached the final of the Copa Federación de España,[7] he returned to Athletic Bilbao to take up a position as sporting director, following the election of former teammate Josu Urrutia as president in July 2011.[8][9]
In 2013, a reorganisation of functions at the club saw Larrazábal take over responsibility for its youth system, with José María Amorrortu (the director of football) focusing on the senior team.[10] The former resigned from the position in summer 2015,[9][11] citing professional differences and a desire to return to managerial roles.[12]
In April 2016, Larrazábal became manager of third-tier Marbella FC for a short spell,[13] and although they only collected two points from his three games in charge, it was enough to successfully steer them away from the relegation zone by the end of the campaign.[14] For the following season he moved back to the Basque Country, taking control of SD Amorebieta of the same league;[14] they escaped relegation by a single point.
Larrazábal was appointed at Barakaldo CF in the same division in June 2017.[9][15] Three years later, following a brief spell at Salamanca CF UDS, he returned to his previous club.[16]
On 28 December 2020, Larrazábal was replaced by his assistant Germán Beltrán, but continued in his role of sporting director.[17] He returned to management in June 2022, joining Segunda Federación side Gernika Club[18] and leaving at the end of 2022–23.[19]
Larrazábal moved to the Primera Federación with SD Logroñés on 26 December 2023.[20]
Personal life edit
Larrazábal's son, Gaizka, is also a footballer. A right winger by position, in summer 2017 he joined Athletic Bilbao (being assigned to the reserves) from Zamudio SD, having played against the Amorebieta team managed by his father during the preceding season.[21][22]
Managerial statistics edit
- As of 27 May 2023
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Gatika | 1 July 2008 | 30 June 2009 | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 38 | 25 | +13 | 47.06 | [23] | |
| Lemona | 1 July 2009 | 30 June 2011 | 89 | 31 | 33 | 25 | 116 | 97 | +19 | 34.83 | [24] | |
| Marbella | 26 April 2016 | 15 June 2016 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 0.00 | [25] | |
| Amorebieta | 15 June 2016 | 5 June 2017 | 41 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 52 | 53 | −1 | 34.15 | [26] | |
| Barakaldo | 5 June 2017 | 15 June 2019 | 83 | 35 | 26 | 22 | 101 | 80 | +21 | 42.17 | [27] | |
| Salamanca | 27 November 2019 | 18 February 2020 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 18 | −10 | 18.18 | [28] | |
| Barakaldo | 4 June 2020 | 27 December 2020 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 18 | −12 | 11.11 | [29] | |
| Gernika | 9 June 2022 | 5 June 2023 | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 41 | 37 | +4 | 39.47 | [30] | |
| Career Total | 308 | 114 | 95 | 99 | 369 | 337 | +32 | 37.01 | — | |||
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Histórico rentable" [Reliable legend] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 24 March 2004. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ Moscoso, Álvaro (22 November 2011). "Iraola es el defensa más goleador de toda la Liga" [Iraola is the defender with the most goals in the entire League] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ Castañeda, Álvaro (3 September 1990). "El Tenerife "rugió" primero" [Tenerife "roared" first]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ^ Suso, Ramón (22 October 1998). "El Athletic hace más méritos" [Athletic deserved more]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ Rodrigálvarez, Eduardo (5 November 1998). "Mucho fútbol, poca renta" [Lots of football, little prize]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "Andresen prolongs Stabæk stay". UEFA. 21 May 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
- ^ [Declarations by Aitor Larrazabal: "Triumph gives us prestige"] (in Spanish). SD Lemona. 18 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ Beato, Rafa (13 July 2011). "Marcelo Bielsa ya está en Lezama" [Marcelo Bielsa is already at Lezama]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ a b c "Aitor Larrazabal, nuevo entrenador del Barakaldo" [Aitor Larrazabal, new manager of Barakaldo]. Deia (in Spanish). 5 June 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Sánchez Gonzalo, Jorge (30 July 2013). "Aitor Larrazabal es el nuevo jefe de Lezama" [Aitor Larrazabal is the new chief at Lezama] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ Velasco, Juanma (9 June 2015). "Amorrortu coge fuerza cuando hacía las maletas" [Amorrortu gets stronger just when he was packing]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ "Larrazabal dimite como director de la cantera del Athletic" [Larrazabal resigns as director of Athletic's academy]. Marca (in Spanish). 17 June 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "El Marbella FC ficha como entrenador al vasco Aitor Larrazabal" [Marbella FC sign Basque Aitor Larrazabal as coach] (in Spanish). Marbella 24 Horas. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ a b Baraja, Jon (15 June 2016). "Aitor Larrazabal, nuevo entrenador del Amorebieta" [Aitor Larrazabal, new manager of Amorebieta]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ Rodríguez Beltrán, Javier (5 June 2017). "Joseba Etxeberria, al Amorebieta y Larrazabal, al Barakaldo" [Joseba Etxeberria to Amorebieta and Larrazabal to Barakaldo]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ Barker, Gabby (5 June 2020). "Aitor Larrazabal returns to Barakaldo". Sports Finding. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ Olazabal, Peru (28 December 2020). "Germán Beltrán sustituye a Aitor Larrazabal en el banquillo del Barakaldo" [Germán Beltrán replaces Aitor Larrazabal in bench of Barakaldo]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Aitor Larrazabal se hace cargo del Gernika" [Aitor Larrazabal takes over Gernika]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 9 June 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Ruiz, Pako (5 June 2023). "Aitor Larrazabal no seguirá como entrenador del Gernika" [Aitor Larrazábal will not continue as Gernika's manager]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Aitor Larrazabal se pone al frente del Logroñés" [Aitor Larrazábal gets in charge of Logroñés] (in Spanish). SD Logroñés. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ Ugalde, Iñaki (5 April 2017). "El Athletic se hace con los servicios de Gaizka Larrazabal" [Athletic secure the services of Gaizka Larrazabal]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ García, J. (24 May 2019). ["Gaizka needs to be Gaizka and not the son of Aitor Larrazabal"]. Deia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "División de Honor Regional Vizcaína 2008–09" [Vizcayan Honour Regional Division 2008–09] (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
- ^ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
"Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017. - ^ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
- ^ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
- ^ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
"Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 21 October 2018. - ^ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
External links edit
- Aitor Larrazábal at BDFutbol
- Aitor Larrazábal manager profile at BDFutbol
- Aitor Larrazábal at Athletic Bilbao