Juan Antonio Larrañaga
Personal information
Full name Juan Antonio Larrañaga Gurruchaga
Date of birth (1958-07-03) 3 July 1958
Place of birth Azpeitia, Spain
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Youth career
Lagun Onak
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1980 San Sebastián
1980–1994 Real Sociedad 460 (15)
International career
1986–1987 Spain U21 4 (0)
1987 Spain U23 2 (0)
1988 Spain 1 (0)
1993 Basque Country 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juan Antonio Larrañaga Gurruchaga (alt.spelling Ion Andoni; born 3 July 1958) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a defender.

Club career

Larrañaga was born in Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country. He started playing as a defensive midfielder, being signed by Real Sociedad in 1977 from local CD Lagun Onak. In January 1980 he made his first-team debut in the Copa del Rey, against Navarre neighbours Peña Sport FC.[1]

Although he featured sparingly in the 1980–81 season, as Real won the first of their two consecutive La Liga titles, Larrañaga did take the field in the decisive draw at Sporting de Gijón in the last round,[2][3] and featured in all the matches the following campaign whilst adding two goals. From 1986 to 1992, he only missed a total of two games; after manager John Toshack was appointed, he began playing as a sweeper.[4] On 1 October 2021, his record of 202 consecutive Spanish top tier appearances[5] was eclipsed by Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams in a match against Deportivo Alavés.[6][7]

Larrañaga retired at 36 at the end of 1993–94, having made 460 top-flight appearances (589 overall, only behind teammate Alberto Górriz in the club's record books). He was the only member of the league-winning sides to have played at both of the club's grounds: Atotxa and Anoeta.[1]

International career

Larrañaga won one cap for Spain, playing the entire 1–2 friendly defeat to Czechoslovakia on 24 February 1988, in Málaga.[8] He also appeared four times for the under-21 team.

Post-retirement

After retiring, Larrañaga took up coaching, but only in the lower leagues (for six years). He also appeared as a commentator for ETB 1, which lasted until the end of the 2005–06 season.[1]

From 2006 to 2008, Larrañaga served as the youth coordinator of his only professional club, being fired at the end of the second division campaign.[9]

Honours

Real Sociedad

Individual

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Leyendas de la Real Sociedad – Larrañaga" [Real Sociedad legends – Larrañaga]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "¡Vaya epílogo!" [What a finish!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 27 April 1981. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  3. ↑ Díez Serrat, Xavier (27 April 1981). "2–2: La Real no podía fallar" [2–2: Real could not fail]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Rodríguez, José María (30 October 2018). "El encanto de los tres centrales" [The charm of the three stoppers]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 October 2019.
  5. ↑ Ortego, Enrique (24 September 2021). "Larrañaga: "Jugué muchos partidos con dolor e infiltrado"" [Larrañaga: "I played many games in pain and on injections"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Inaki Williams sets record with 203rd consecutive Liga game". France 24. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  7. ↑ Lowe, Sid (6 October 2021). "Iñaki Williams: 'My parents crossed the desert barefoot to get to Spain'". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  8. ↑ Díez Serrat, Xavier (25 February 1988). "Ensayo fatal y derrota inquietante" [Fatal rehearsal and troubling defeat] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Izquierdo, Iñaki (9 April 2008). "Badiola despide a Larrañaga" [Badiola fires Larrañaga]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  10. ↑ Pla Díaz, Emilio. "Spain – Footballer of the Year". RSSSF. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
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