One of essentially the most admired soccer goalkeepers within the historical past of this sport, José Ángel Iribar (Zarauz, Guipúzcoa, 1943), turns 80 this Wednesday.
A residing legend of Athletic Club, he’s the participant with essentially the most video games performed with the Bilbao crew’s elastic (614) and one of the vital profitable.
In his file he has two Generalissimo Cups with Athletic (1969 and 1973), in addition to being runner-up within the UEFA Cup in 1977 towards Juventus in Turin.
On a person degree, he gained a Zamora within the 69-70 season and internationally, the goalkeeper was a goalkeeper for the Spanish National Team for a decade, with which he gained the primary European Championship in 1964,
excessive for the time
El Txopo (Chopo), nicknamed this fashion for his critical, skinny and tall determine for the time (1.84 meters), signed with Athletic Club in 1962.
The folks of Bilbao paid a million pesetas for him on the time to Baskonia. The second division crew from Biscay had defeated Atlético de Madrid in a Cup tie the place the younger Iribar stood out for his interventions.
The goalkeeper debuted on the age of 19 at Athletic. It was the La Rosaleda stadium towards CD Málaga on September 23, 1962.
He took the sector with thirty minutes remaining to switch the injured Carmelo Cedrún, already dropping the lions 2-0.
At the top of the match, he confessed that “goalkeepers like José Araquistáin (Real Madrid), Carmelo or Antoni Ramallets (Barcelona) carry an infinite quantity of expertise and commerce that may solely be realized with a few years of observe. You do not need to run a lot; At the second, I aspire to play within the First Division ”, they are saying from the membership. An aspiration that he would greater than fulfill throughout his skilled profession, through which the music “How Iribar there’s none” was widespread to sound earlier than his praised saves.
stage after soccer
Iribar retired as an expert participant on the finish of the 1979-80 season, after 18 league titles and 667 objectives conceded.
Later, he was coach within the decrease classes of Athletic and coach of the primary crew within the 1986-87 season through which the lions completed thirteenth.
He was additionally the goalkeeping coach of the primary crew between 1990 and 2001.
Currently, he is likely one of the membership’s ambassadors, which he often represents on many events.
Athletic Club needs to have a good time this eightieth birthday because it deserves. It has invited goalkeepers of all classes to put on Iribar’s legendary black shirt within the nationwide and worldwide league matches that happen subsequent weekend.
The anniversary coincides with the Cup semifinal that the membership performs towards Osasuna. A superb end result can be the most effective reward for the exporter on his birthday.