José Ángel Iribar

{{Infobox football biography

| name = José Ángel Iribar

| image = DERBI DE LEYENDAS Korner Festibala 2019 (46268716714) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Iribar in 2019

| full_name = José Ángel Iribar Kortajarena

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|3|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Zarautz, Spain

| height = 1.81 m

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Salleco

| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Zarautz

| years1 = 1961–1962 | clubs1 = Basconia | caps1 = 24 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1962–1980 | clubs2 = Athletic Bilbao | caps2 = 466 | goals2 = 0

| totalcaps = 490 | totalgoals = 0

| nationalyears1 = 1964–1976 | nationalteam1 = Spain | nationalcaps1 = 49 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1979 | nationalteam2 = Basque Country | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1983–1986 | managerclubs1 = Bilbao Athletic

| manageryears2 = 1986–1987 | managerclubs2 = Athletic Bilbao

| manageryears3 = 1987 | managerclubs3 = Bilbao Athletic

| manageryears4 = 1988 | managerclubs4 = Basque Country

| manageryears5 = 1993–2010 | managerclubs5 = Basque Country

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|ESP|1945}}}}

}}

José Ángel Iribar Kortajarena (born 1 March 1943), nicknamed El Chopo ("the Poplar"), is a Spanish retired football goalkeeper and manager.

Having played almost exclusively for Athletic Bilbao, he appeared in more than 600 official games for the club over the course of 18 La Liga seasons, winning two major titles.{{cite news|url=http://athletic.elcorreo.com/leyendas/el-chopo.html|title=Leyendas del Athletic Club de Bilbao – 'El Chopo'|trans-title=Athletic Club de Bilbao legends – 'The Poplar'|newspaper=El Correo|language=es|access-date=23 May 2016|archive-date=14 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314202251/http://athletic.elcorreo.com/leyendas/el-chopo.html|url-status=dead}}

Iribar represented the Spain national team in the 1964 Nations' Cup and the 1966 World Cup, winning the former tournament.

Club career

Iribar was born in Zarautz, Gipuzkoa. After only three La Liga games in his first professional season at Athletic Bilbao, he proceeded to become the Basques' undisputed starter for the following 16 seasons; his senior starts were made at CD Basconia in 1961, when the latter was still not the feeder team: they eliminated Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Generalísimo, and the keeper's stellar performance prompted his signing for a then-record 1 million pesetas.

At Athletic, Iribar profited from injury to Carmelo Cedrún in October 1963 and never looked back, winning two Spanish Cups and reaching the final of the 1976–77 UEFA Cup, lost to Juventus FC. During the 1970–71 campaign he kept a clean sheet at ten successive home games, which translated into a record of 1,018 minutes.

File:Iribar (Athletic) - 2.jpg Iribar was awarded a benefit match in 1971, a 1–1 draw against West Bromwich Albion (the former club of Athletic's manager at the time, Ronnie Allen), having already played the same opponents a few weeks earlier in England for Bobby Hope's testimonial.{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=Baggies Abroad: The Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion's Global Travels|year=2015|publisher=Pitch Publishing|isbn=9781785310997}}{{cite web|url=http://www.albiontillwedie.co.uk/seasonarchive/results/1970-71.html|title=Results 1970–71|publisher=Albion Till We Die|access-date=5 November 2017}} He retired nine years later at 37, having played in 614 matches in all competitions (a club record by some margin), as another club great in the position, Andoni Zubizarreta, would arrive in the summer; he also held its appearance record in European competition until 2016, when his total of 55 was passed by Markel Susaeta.{{cite web|url=http://www.marca.com/futbol/athletic/2016/09/15/57daf65a22601de33f8b4594.html|title=Susaeta supera a Iribiar|trans-title=Susaeta surpasses Iribar|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=15 September 2016|access-date=18 July 2017}}

Subsequently, Iribar joined Athletic's coaching staff, taking charge of the goalkeepers. In 1983–84 he coached the reserve team Bilbao Athletic, leading them to the second place in the second division, a best-ever, although they were not eligible for promotion.

File:Iribar SanMames eskultura 3.jpg, installed in 2023]]

Iribar also managed the first team in the 1986–87 season – for the only time, the league had a second stage divided in three groups, and Athletic 'won' the relegation section (ranking 13th overall).{{cite web|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1987/06/19/deportes/551052010_850215.html|title=El {{sic|nolink=y|Athlétic}} sustituye a Iríbar por Howard Kendall|trans-title=Athletic replace Iríbar with Howard Kendall|newspaper=El País|language=es|date=19 June 1987|access-date=26 April 2018}} From 1988 and for over two decades, he was in charge of the Basque Country representative team.{{cite web|url=http://www.marca.com/2010/12/29/futbol/mas_futbol/1293663245.html|title=Iribar abandona su cargo de seleccionador de Euskadi|trans-title=Iribar leaves his post as Euskadi manager|newspaper=Marca|language=es|date=29 December 2010|access-date=26 April 2018}}

A statue of Iribar was installed in on the concourse outside San Mamés Stadium in December 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/athletic-club/iribar-emocionado-descubre-estatua-san-95922451|title=Iribar, emocionado, descubre su estatua en San Mamés arropado por todo el Athletic|trans-title=Iribar, excited, discovers his statue in San Mamés supported by all of Athletic |website=Sport | language=es |date=16 December 2023 |access-date=12 April 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.deia.eus/athletic/2023/12/16/estatua-iribar-san-mames-7642808.html|title=La estatua de Iribar preside San Mamés|trans-title=The statue of Iribar presides over San Mamés |website=Deia | language=es |date=16 December 2023 |access-date=12 April 2024}}

International career

Iribar made his debut for Spain on 11 March 1964, in the first leg of the 1964 European Nations' Cup's last qualifying stage, a 5–1 home win against the Republic of Ireland (7–1 aggregate).{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1964/03/12/pagina-3/934359/pdf.html|title=España, 5 – Irlanda, 1|trans-title=Spain, 5 – Ireland, 1|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=es|date=12 March 1964|access-date=26 April 2018}} He was the starter during the finals, and the nation emerged victorious on home soil.

Iribar also represented Spain at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, playing all three group stage matches. He retained his position for a further ten years; on 20 November 1974, in a UEFA Euro 1976 qualifier away to Scotland, he equalled the record of 46 caps held by fellow goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora, and overtook him the following 5 February at home to the same opponents. His 49th and final game was on 24 April 1976 in a 1–1 draw against West Germany in the quarter-finals of the same tournament; he missed the second leg, officially due to a finger injury, which he denied decades later amidst theories that he was dropped for his political views.{{cite news |last1=Relaño |first1=Alfredo |title=Iribar se quedó sin el partido número 50|trans-title=Iribar remained without 50th match|url=https://elpais.com/deportes/2016/06/12/actualidad/1465741930_443865.html |access-date=19 January 2022 |work=El País |date=12 June 2016 |language=Spanish}} Another goalkeeper, Luis Arconada, took his record in 1983.{{cite news |last1=Relaño |first1=Alfredo |title=Muñoz elimina a Arconada en dos tiempos|trans-title=Muñoz dropped Arconada in two instalments|url=https://elpais.com/deportes/2016/10/02/actualidad/1475436087_990829.html |access-date=19 January 2022 |work=El País |date=2 October 2016 |language=Spanish}}

Style of play

Spanish 2010 World Cup winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas included Iribar in his list of the ten greatest goalkeepers of all time, and described him as "one of the greatest keepers Spain has ever produced. He was a big presence in goal and had that ability to intimidate opponents. But it wasn't all about his size, which is useless on its own. He combined his physicality with terrific positioning."{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.org/news/newsid=949435.html|title=Casillas names his top ten No1s|publisher=UEFA.org|author1=Guillem Balagué|date=5 February 2010|access-date=27 March 2017}} In Italy, the former was given the nickname "Zoff's twin", due to his goalkeeping ability, leadership and physical resemblance to Italian counterpart Dino Zoff.{{cite web|url=http://storiedicalcio.altervista.org/blog/iribar-jose.html|title=IRIBAR Josè: il gemello di Zoff|trans-title=IRIBAR Josè: Zoff's twin|publisher=Storie di Calcio|author1=Giuseppe Ottomano|language=it|access-date=27 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://elpais.com/deportes/2014/06/12/mundial_futbol/1402597532_108260.html|title="Casillas va a tener un papel estelar"|trans-title=Casillas will have a starring role|publisher=El País|author=Eduardo Rodrigálvarez|language=es|date=12 June 2014|access-date=14 January 2019}}

Political views

File:Ikurrina, Euskal Derbia, 1976.jpg an José Ángel Iribar carrying the Ikurriña. 1976.]]

On 5 December 1976, before a game against Real Sociedad, Iribar and the opposing captain, Inaxio Kortabarria, carried out the Ikurriña, the Basque flag, and placed it ceremonially on the centre-circle.{{cite web|url=http://www.canalathletic.com/noticias/2010-12-03/aquel-historico-diciembre-1976-20101203.html|title=Aquel histórico 5 de diciembre de 1976|trans-title=That historic 5 December 1976|newspaper=El Correo|language=es|date=3 December 2010|access-date=15 November 2017}} This was the first public display of the flag since the death of Francisco Franco, but it was still illegal.

He subsequently became involved in Basque local politics, and was a founding member of the separatist coalition Herri Batasuna.{{cite web|url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/LETAMENDIA/_FRANCISCO/IRIBAR/_JOSE_ANGEL/ESPANA/PAIS_VASCO/ESPANA/HERRI_BATASUNA_/HB/ELECCIONES_LEGISLATIVAS_1979_/1-3-1979/elpepiesp/19790113elpepinac_13/Tes|title=Iribar se presentará a las elecciones con Herri-Batasuna|trans-title=Iribar to present himself to elections for Herri-Batasuna|newspaper=El País|language=es|date=13 January 1979|access-date=18 October 2011}}

Career statistics

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="13"\|Spain{{cite web\|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/iribar-intl.html\|title=José Ángel Iríbar – International Matches\|publisher=RSSSF\|access-date=15 March 2011}} \|1964	5	0
1965	2	0
1966	6	0
1967	5	0
1968	5	0
1969	1	0
1970	5	0
1971	3	0
1972	6	0
1973	3	0
1974	5	0
1975	2	0
1976	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total	49	0

Honours

File:Kintana Bilboko osètsuak2016Uriola.jpg City Hall in 2016]]

Athletic Bilbao

Copa del Generalísimo: 1969, 1972–73; runner-up 1965–66, 1966–67, 1976–77{{cite web|url=http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1977/06/26/pagina-4/1030780/pdf.html|title=2–2: Los andaluces remontaron dos ventajas vascas|trans-title=2–2: The Andalusians countered Basques' advantage twice|newspaper=Mundo Deportivo|language=es|date=26 June 1977|access-date=5 May 2016}}
UEFA Cup: runner-up 1976–77

Spain

UEFA European Championship: 1964

Individual

Ricardo Zamora Trophy: 1969–70
La Liga Team of The Year: 1976{{cite web|url=https://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1976/05/21/pagina-16/1009091/pdf.html |website=Hemeroteca - El Mundo Deportivo |title=Mundo Deportivo La Liga Team of the Year|access-date=30 October 2024 }}

References

External links

{{Athletic Bilbao profile|id=244/iribar}}
[http://www.athletic-club.eus/en/history-coaches/32/jose-angel-iribar.html Athletic Bilbao manager profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930081422/https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/history-coaches/32/jose-angel-iribar.html |date=30 September 2018 }}
{{BDFutbol|5056}}
{{BDFutbol manager|5056}}
{{NFT player|18068}}
{{FIFA player|51280}}
{{EU-Football.info|9089}}

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Category:Living people

Category:1943 births

Category:Footballers from Zarautz

Category:Spanish men's footballers

Category:Men's association football goalkeepers

Category:Spain men's international footballers