Iñaki Aizpurúa
Personal information
Full name José Ignacio Aizpurúa Alzaga[1]
Date of birth (1970-05-05) 5 May 1970[1]
Place of birth Irun, Spain[1]
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1991 CD Landetxa
1991–1994 Real Unión
1994–2003 Salamanca 167 (0)
2002–2003 Real Sociedad 0 (0)
2002–2003 → Levante (loan) 9 (0)
2003–2007 Levante 8 (0)
Total 184 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

José Ignacio 'Iñaki' Aizpurúa Alzaga (born 5 May 1970) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

He spent most of his 16-year professional career with Salamanca, playing in three La Liga seasons with the club. His last years were spent with Levante, where he later worked in other capacities.

Club career

Born in Irun, Basque Country, Aizpurúa made his professional debut at the age of 21, playing three seasons with hometown's Real Unión, the last spent in the third division. Subsequently, he left for UD Salamanca, where he remained eight years making nearly 200 official appearances; in 1995–96 he appeared in 40 La Liga games, but the Castile and León side were relegated back to the second level after finishing last.

In summer 2003, after a season loaned at Levante UD by Real Sociedad – which first loaned the player to Burgos CF, aborting the move following the club's relegation from division two due to irregularities[2][3]– Aizpurúa signed permanently with the same team,[4] only managing to be a backup in his four overall seasons at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia; in 2004–05, the only year he spent in the top flight during this timeframe, he did not manage to appear in the league, playing understudy to Juan Luis Mora as the Granotas ranked 18th with the subsequent relegation.[5]

Following his retirement in January 2007 at the age of 36 (he was not registered during that campaign), Aizpurúa continued working with Levante in directorial capacities and as youth system coordinator.[6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "José Ignacio AIZPURÚA Alzaga". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  2. ↑ De la Cuesta, Eneko (31 July 2002). "¿Qué pasa ahora con Aizpurua?" [What happens now with Aizpurua?]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  3. ↑ Carrión, Soler (23 August 2002). "Rivera y Jofre, fichados" [Rivera and Jofre, signed]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "Su traspaso al Levante, gratis" [His transfer to Levante, for free]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 24 July 2003. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "Debate en la portería del Levante UD" [Debate in Levante UD's goal]. Levante-EMV (in Spanish). 13 June 2005. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Fútbol.– El portero Aizpurúa y el entrenador Carlos Simón pasan al cuerpo técnico del Levante" [Football.– Goalkeeper Aizpurúa and coach Carlos Simón join Levante's coaching staff] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 31 January 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  7. ↑ "Aizpurúa se despide de la afición levantinista" [Aizpurúa says goodbye to Levante fans] (in Spanish). Levante UD. 8 February 2007. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
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