Luis Arconada

Luis Arconada

Arconada in 1981
Personal information
Full name Luis Miguel Arconada Etxarri
Date of birth (1954-06-26) 26 June 1954
Place of birth San Sebastián, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
Lengokoak
Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1972–1974 San Sebastián
1974–1989 Real Sociedad 414 (0)
National team
1972 Spain U18 4 (0)
1976 Spain amateur 2 (0)
1977–1985 Spain 68 (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 Arconada and the second or maternal family name is Etxarri.

Luis Miguel Arconada Etxarri (born 26 June 1954) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Having played solely for Real Sociedad for nearly 20 professional years, helping the team to two La Liga titles, amongst other domestic accolades, he also collected 68 national team caps.[1]

Club career

Arconada was born in San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa. Aged 16 he joined local giants Real Sociedad's youth ranks, going on to play there his entire career and being known as "El pulpo" (Octopus in English).

After two seasons backing up Urruti, Arconada became the club's undisputed starter, being instrumental in back-to-back La Liga titles, which led – after the second – to a semifinal run in the European Cup.

He was seriously injured in 1985–86's league opener, which caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign and the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He still returned strong for three more seasons, helping Real Sociedad to two consecutive Copa del Rey finals before retiring at 35, with a total of 414 appearances for the club (551 overall); after that, he remained apart from the football world.

International career

On 27 March 1977 Arconada played his first game for Spain, a 1–1 friendly with Hungary in Alicante, replacing Real Madrid's Miguel Ángel for the second half. Having captained the national side on many occasions he represented it at the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups, as well as at UEFA Euro 1980 and 1984; in the latter competition his blunder resulted in the opening goal for hosts France, in the 0–2 final defeat: he appeared to have smothered a Michel Platini free-kick under his chest in a diving save, but he fumbled the ball, which slid off under his body and rolled slowly into the net.[2]

Arconada's last game was a 0–3 defeat in Wales for the 1986 World Cup qualifiers. A severe injury while playing for Real ousted him from the final stages, being replaced by another legendary figure, also-Basque Andoni Zubizarreta.

During the ceremony following Spain's victory in Euro 2008, third-choice for the winners Andrés Palop wore Arconada's original Euro 84 final shirt, as he received the gold medal from Platini, now president of UEFA.[3]

He also represented his native country at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, where Spain was eliminated in the first round.

Personal life

Arconada's younger brother, Gonzalo, never played professional football, but had an extensive coaching career, mainly in the third division. For a few months in early 2006, he coached Real Sociedad's first team.

Honours

Club

Real Sociedad

Country

Individual

See also

References

  1. ↑ Luis Miguel Arconada Echarri – International Matches; at RSSSF
  2. ↑ Platini fires France to victory; UEFA.com, 4 October 2003
  3. ↑ Arconada alucinó con el gesto de Palop (Arconada went crazy with Palop's gesture); Mundo Deportivo, 2 July 2008 (Spanish)

External links

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