Aitor Iru
{{short description|Spanish footballer and coach}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|Iruarrizaga|Amarika|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Aitor Iru
| image =
| full_name = Aitor Iruarrizaga Amarika
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|7|29|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bilbao, Spain
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 1.87 m
| position = Goalkeeper
| currentclub = Athletic Bilbao (goalkeeping coach)
| years1 = 1989–1991 | clubs1 = Barakaldo | caps1 = 57 | goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1991–1993 | clubs2 = Bilbao Athletic | caps2 = 45 | goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1993–1995 | clubs3 = Compostela | caps3 = 75 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1995–1996 | clubs4 = Mérida | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1996–1998 | clubs5 = Almería | caps5 = 41 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 1998–2002 | clubs6 = SD Eibar | caps6 = 47 | goals6 = 0
| years7 = 2002–2006 | clubs7 = Amurrio | caps7 = 18 | goals7 = 0
| totalcaps = 283 | totalgoals = 0
| manageryears1 = 2008–2009 | managerclubs1 = Bilbao Athletic (goalkeeping coach)
| manageryears2 = 2011–2017 | managerclubs2 = Athletic Bilbao (goalkeeping coach)
| manageryears3 = 2017–2018 | managerclubs3 = Bilbao Athletic (goalkeeping coach)
| manageryears4 = 2018– | managerclubs4 = Athletic Bilbao (goalkeeping coach)
| club-update =
}}
Aitor Iruarrizaga Amarika (born 29 July 1968), known as Aitor Iru, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and is the goalkeeping coach of Athletic Bilbao.{{cite web |title=Iru |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/iru/ |website=worldfootball.net |accessdate=12 March 2021}}
Playing career
Iru was born in Bilbao in the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, and began his career with Biscayan club Barakaldo. After two seasons with Barakaldo in Segunda División B, he joined local giants Athletic Bilbao in 1991. He spent two seasons playing for the B team in the Segunda División, but never appeared for the first team, and left to sign for second tier rivals Compostela in 1993. In his first season, Compostela achieved promotion to La Liga for the first time in their history after winning a playoff. He continued to be first choice in 1994–95, making 37 top flight appearances as Compostela avoided relegation. He joined fellow first division club Mérida in the summer of 1995, but made only 4 appearances during his sole season with the club, all in the Copa del Rey.{{cite web |title=Iru |url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j36.html |website=BDFutbol |accessdate=12 March 2021}}
Mérida were relegated in 1996, and Iru left the club that summer to sign for Almería in the Segunda División. He spent two seasons with Almería, in the first of which they were relegated to Segunda División B. He joined Eibar in 1998, where he played in the second tier for four seasons before signing for Segunda División B side Amurrio in 2002, where he finished his career.
Coaching career
Iru returned to Bilbao Athletic in 2008, becoming their goalkeeping coach,{{cite web |title=El Athletic contrata a Aitor Iru para entrenar a los porteros del filial |url=https://www.elcorreo.com/vizcaya/20080624/deportes/athletic/athletic-contrata-aitor-para-20080624.html |website=El Correo |accessdate=12 March 2021}} a position he held for one season. He made another return to the club in 2011, this time becoming goalkeeping coach for the first team, replacing Luis Llopis.{{cite web |title=Aitor Iru será el entrenador de porteros del Athletic |url=https://as.com/futbol/2011/07/13/mas_futbol/1310508019_850215.html |website=AS.com |language=es|date=13 July 2011|accessdate=12 March 2021}} In July 2017, Cuco Ziganda, who had until then been coaching the B team, replaced Ernesto Valverde as Athletic manager.{{cite web|url=http://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/17937/jose-angel-ziganda-new-athletic-clubs-manager.html|title=José Ángel Ziganda, Athletic Club's new manager|publisher=Athletic Bilbao|date=24 May 2017|access-date=25 May 2017}} Ziganda brought Imanol Etxeberria with him as goalkeeping coach so he and Etxeberria swapped places, Iru returning to the B team.{{cite web |title=Athletic. El nuevo nido de Kuko |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/athletic-bilbao/20170701/423100065320/ziganda-athletic-arostegi-etxeberria-valverde.html |website=Mundo Deportivo |accessdate=12 March 2021}}
In December 2018, B team coach Gaizka Garitano followed Ziganda's path by being promoted to first team manager, replacing Eduardo Berizzo.{{cite web|url=https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/2018/12/04/sustitucion-de-eduardo-berizzo|title=Replacement of Eduardo Berizzo|publisher=Athletic Bilbao|date=4 December 2018|access-date=4 December 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/soccer/spanish-primera-division/15/blog/post/3720725/athletic-bilbao-would-rather-be-relegated-than-compromise-their-values-as-battle-at-bottom-looms|title=Athletic Bilbao would rather be relegated than compromise their values as battle at bottom looms|publisher=ESPN|last=Lowe|first=Sid|date=11 December 2018|access-date=12 January 2019}} Like Ziganda, he chose to bring his goalkeeping coach with him, meaning Iru was promoted to the first team once again, replacing Carlos Kisluk.{{cite web |title=Arranca la era Garitano en el Athletic |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/athletic-bilbao/20181205/453379184850/gaizka-garitano-athletic-huesca-lezama-berizzo-copa.html |website=Mundo Deportivo |accessdate=12 March 2021}} As of March 2021, Iru remains in post, now working under Marcelino, who replaced Garitano in January of that year.{{cite web|url=https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/2021/01/04/marcelino-garcia-toral-athletic-clubs-new-head-coach|title=Marcelino García Toral: Athletic Club's new head coach|publisher=Athletic Bilbao|date=4 January 2021|access-date=4 January 2021}}
Personal life
Iru's son Ander is also a goalkeeper, who has played for Bilbao Athletic since 2016.{{cite web |title=Ander Iru |url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j22447.html |website=BDFutbol |accessdate=12 March 2021}}{{cite web |title=Jon Iru Busca Protagonismo en el Barakaldo |url=https://eldesmarque.com/bizkaia/athletic-club/noticias/58449-jon-iru-mi-madre-tuvo-la-culpa-de-que-no-fuera-portero |website=eldesmarque.com |accessdate=12 March 2021}} Ander was coached by his father during the latter's tenure as Bilbao Athletic goalkeeping coach in 2017–18. Aitor's brother {{ill|Patxi Iru|es}}, older by almost six years, was also a goalkeeper, representing both Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna in La Liga.{{cite web |title=Iru |url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j887.html |website=BDFutbol |accessdate=12 March 2021}}{{cite web|url=http://www.diarioinformacion.com/elche-cf/2015/05/17/partido-disfrutar/1633754.html|title=Es un partido para disfrutar|trans-title=It is a match to enjoy|publisher=Diario Información|language=es|date=17 May 2015|access-date=12 March 2021}} Patxi's son Jon is a midfielder,{{cite news|url=http://bizkaia.eldesmarque.com/athletic-club/noticias/58449-jon-iru-mi-madre-tuvo-la-culpa-de-que-no-fuera-portero|title=Jon Iru: "Mi madre tuvo la culpa de que no fuera portero" |trans-title=Jon Iru: "My mother is to blame for me not being a goalie" |language=Spanish|publisher=El Desmarque|date=24 February 2017|access-date=12 March 2021}} currently playing for Haro Deportivo in Segunda División B.{{cite web |title=Jon Iru |url=https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j202024.html |website=BDFutbol |accessdate=12 March 2021}}
Career statistics
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3" valign="center"|Barakaldo
|rowspan="2"|Segunda División B |19 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 19 | 0 | |||
| 1990–91
|38 | 0 | 6 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 44 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"| Total
!57 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 0 | |
| rowspan="3" valign="center"|Athletic Bilbao B
|rowspan="2"|Segunda División |8 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 8 | 0 | |||
| 1992–93
|37 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 37 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"| Total
!45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | |
| rowspan="3" valign="center"|Compostela
|38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3{{ref|a}} | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| 1994–95
|37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 41 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"| Total
!75 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 82 | 0 | |
| valign="center"|Mérida
|0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 4 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="3" valign="center"|Almería
|35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 37 | 0 | ||
| 1997–98
|6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 6 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"| Total
!41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| rowspan="5" valign="center"|SD Eibar
|rowspan="4"|Segunda División |24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 24 | 0 | ||
| 1999–2000
|13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01
|2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02
|8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 9 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"| Total
!47 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | |
| rowspan="3" valign="center"|Amurrio
|rowspan="2"|Segunda División B |17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04
|1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 1 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"| Total
!18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| colspan="3"| Career total
!283 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 307 | 0 |
:1.{{note|a}} Appearances in the 1993–94 Segunda División promotion playoff
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{BDFutbol|36}}
- {{Worldfootball.net|iru}}
- [https://www.athletic-club.eus/jugadores/aitor-iruarrizaga-amarika Aitor Iruarrizaga] at Athletic Club Website Oficial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iru, Aitor}}
Category:Spanish men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Bilbao
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Segunda División players
Category:Segunda División B players
Category:Barakaldo CF footballers
Category:Athletic Bilbao B footballers
Category:SD Compostela footballers
Category:CP Mérida footballers
Category:Spanish football coaches