Andoni Zubizarreta

Andoni Zubizarreta

Zubizarreta in 1996
Personal information
Full name Andoni Zubizarreta Urreta
Date of birth (1961-10-23) 23 October 1961
Place of birth Vitoria, Spain
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
1976–1978 Aretxabaleta
1978–1979 Alavés
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1979–1980 Alavés B
1980–1981 Alavés 0 (0)
1981 Bilbao Athletic 7 (0)
1981–1986 Athletic Bilbao 169 (0)
1986–1994 Barcelona 301 (0)
1994–1998 Valencia 152 (0)
Total 629 (0)
National team
1979–1980 Spain U18 12 (0)
1981 Spain U19 1 (0)
1979–1984 Spain U21 17 (0)
1984 Spain amateur 1 (0)
1985–1998 Spain 126 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Zubizarreta and the second or maternal family name is Urreta.

Andoni Zubizarreta Urreta (Basque: [anˈdoni s̻uβiˈs̻areta uˈreta], Spanish: [anˈdoni θuβiˈθareta uˈreta]; born 23 October 1961) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently working as a commentator for BeIN Sports (Spain).

The all-time most capped player for the Spanish national team for several years, he played with individual and team success for Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona (eight years with the latter, he would later work with the club in directorial capacities), appearing in more than 950 official professional matches during his club career.

Zubizarreta represented Spain in seven major international tournaments, four World Cups and three European Championships, starting in six of those.

Club career

Born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Zubizarreta spent his childhood in Aretxabaleta in Gipuzkoa, where he began his football career. After a brief spell at Basque club, Deportivo Alavés, he joined fellow Basques Athletic Bilbao, where he would spend the following six seasons.

Zubizarreta's La Liga debut occurred on 19 September 1981 as manager Javier Clemente handed him a start in a 0–2 away loss against Atlético Madrid, one month shy of his 20th birthday. He went on to be an undisputed starter for the remainder of his Athletic Bilbao career, becoming an instrumental part of the club's successes, most notably during the back-to-back national championships they won.

In 1986 Zubizarreta signed for FC Barcelona, for a then record fee for a player in his position, for €1.7 million.[1] He went on to quickly usurp the established Urruti from the Barça starting lineup and rarely missed a match afterwards – only missing four matches in total over the course of the Catalan club's four consecutive league wins combined. He helped Barcelona win their first ever European Cup in 1992, in a 1–0 win over Sampdoria.

After the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, during which Barça lost 0–4 to A.C. Milan in the final, Zubi was deemed surplus to requirements and finished his career at Valencia CF, still playing at a high level. He retired after the 1997–98 campaign at nearly 37 years of age, having played in more than 950 official games (622 in the league alone – an all-time record).

On 2 July 2010, Zubizarreta was named Barcelona's director of football by incumbent president Sandro Rosell, taking over from former club and national teammate Txiki Begiristain.[2] Over the previous decade he had served in the same capacity at Athletic Bilbao, while also working as a radio and television commentator.

On 5 January 2015, Zubizarreta was sacked as Barcelona director of football by club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.[3]

International career

Zubizarreta made his debut for Spain on 23 January 1985 in a 3–1 friendly victory with Finland, going on to collect a further 125 caps over the following 13 years.[4]

He was a part of the national team in four consecutive FIFA World Cups: 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 – his last competition, where he scored an own goal in a 2–3 group stage loss against Nigeria.[5] He also played, always as a starter, at Euro 1988 and Euro 1996. Zubizarreta and his deputy Paco Buyo once held the national team record for the longest unbeaten run in international games, until Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina broke that record in October 2008; he was also surpassed by the former in number of total of caps won on 15 November 2011.

Statistics

Club

Club Season League Cup Europe Other[6] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Athletic Bilbao 1981–82 340110----450
1982–83 340802040480
1983–84 340904020490
1984–85 3301202040510
1985–86 340606000460
Total 16904601401002390
Barcelona 1986–87 4402080--540
1987–88 3809080--550
1988–89 360209020490
1989–90 3507060--480
1990–91 380608020540
1991–92 3800011020510
1992–93 380606030530
1993–94 3400012000460
Total 3010320680904100
Valencia 1994–95 380100----480
1995–96 39080----470
1996–97 4102060--490
1997–98 34060----400
Total 152026060001840
Career totals 622010408801908330

International

Spain
YearAppsGoals
198560
1986120
198770
1988130
198980
1990110
199180
199290
199390
1994130
199590
1996100
199760
199850
Total1260

Honours

Club

Athletic Bilbao
Barcelona

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Andoni Zubizarreta Urreta; UEFA.com, 10 July 2003
  2. ↑ "Zubizarreta, new technical director". Barcelona's official website. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 6 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  3. ↑ "Barcelona sack Andoni Zubizarreta as director of football". BBC Sport. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Andoni Zubizarreta – Century of International Appearances; at RSSSF
  5. ↑ Bizarre own goals; BBC Sport, 17 September 2002
  6. ↑ Includes other competitive competitions, including the Supercopa de España, Copa de la Liga and Intercontinental Cup

External links


Sporting positions
Preceded by
Emilio Butragueño		 Spain captain
1992–1998 		Succeeded by
Fernando Hierro
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