Aitor Larrazábal
Personal information
Full name Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao
Date of birth (1971-06-21) 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

Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao (born 21 June 1971) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played solely for Athletic Bilbao as a left-back, currently the manager of Primera Federación club SD Logroñés.

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

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

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] He left Gernika at the end of the 2022–23 season.[19]

On 26 December 2023, Larrazábal was appointed as manager of Primera Federación club SD Logroñés until the end of the 2023–24 season.[20]

Personal life

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

As of 5 February 2023
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Gatika Spain 1 July 2008 30 June 2009 34 16 11 7 38 25 +13 047.06 [23]
Lemona Spain 1 July 2009 30 June 2011 77 26 29 22 95 72 +23 033.77 [24]
Marbella Spain 26 April 2016 15 June 2016 3 0 2 1 7 9 −2 000.00 [25]
Amorebieta Spain 15 June 2016 5 June 2017 41 14 10 17 52 53 −1 034.15 [26]
Barakaldo Spain 5 June 2017 15 June 2019 79 34 25 20 93 70 +23 043.04 [27]
Salamanca Spain 27 November 2019 18 February 2020 11 2 2 7 8 18 −10 018.18 [28]
Barakaldo Spain 4 June 2020 27 December 2020 8 1 1 6 6 17 −11 012.50 [29]
Gernika Spain 9 June 2022 Present 22 10 5 7 29 22 +7 045.45 [30]
Career Total 275 103 85 87 328 286 +42 037.45 —

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Histórico rentable" [Reliable legend] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 24 March 2004. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ Castañeda, Álvaro (3 September 1990). "El Tenerife "rugió" primero" [Tenerife "roared" first]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Suso, Ramón (22 October 1998). "El Athletic hace más méritos" [Athletic deserved more]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  5. ↑ Rodrigálvarez, Eduardo (5 November 1998). "Mucho fútbol, poca renta" [Lots of football, little prize]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Andresen prolongs Stabæk stay". UEFA. 21 May 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  7. ↑ "Declaraciones de Aitor Larrazabal: "El triunfo nos da prestigio"" [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.
  8. ↑ Beato, Rafa (13 July 2011). "Marcelo Bielsa ya está en Lezama" [Marcelo Bielsa is already at Lezama]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "Aitor Larrazabal, nuevo entrenador del Barakaldo" [Aitor Larrazabal, new manager of Barakaldo]. Deia (in Spanish). 5 June 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ 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.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "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.
  14. 1 2 "Aitor Larrazabal, nuevo entrenador del Amorebieta" [Aitor Larrazabal, new manager of Amorebieta]. Deia (in Spanish). 15 June 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ Barker, Gabby (5 June 2020). "Aitor Larrazabal returns to Barakaldo". Sports Finding. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  17. ↑ 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.
  18. ↑ "Aitor Larrazabal se hace cargo del Gernika" [Aitor Larrazabal takes over Gernika]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 9 June 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  19. ↑ Ruiz, Pako (5 June 2023). "Aitor Larrazabal no seguirá como entrenador del Gernika" [Aitor Larrazabal won't continue as Gernika's manager]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Aitor Larrazábal se pone al frente del Logroñés" [Aitor Larrazábal leads Logroñés] (in Spanish). SD Logroñés. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ García, J. (24 May 2019). ""Gaizka tiene que ser Gaizka y no el hijo de Aitor Larrazabal"" ["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.
  23. ↑ "División de Honor Regional Vizcaína 2008–09" [Vizcayan Honour Regional Division 2008–09] (in Spanish). Futbolme. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  24. ↑ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
    "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  25. ↑ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  27. ↑ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
    "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  28. ↑ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  29. ↑ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  30. ↑ "Larrazábal: Aitor Larrazábal Bilbao". BDFutbol. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
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