Josu Urrutia

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Josu Urrutia

| image = Urrutia Lehendakaria Athletic-Napoli partidan izan da.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Urrutia in 2014

| fullname = Josu Urrutia Tellería{{cite news|url=https://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/especiales/2001/08/liga/primera/equipos/athletic/urrutia.html|title=Josu URRUTIA Tellería|publisher=El Mundo|language=es|access-date=9 April 2009}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|4|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bilbao, Spain

| height = {{height|m=1.76}}

| position = Defensive midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 1977–1986 | youthclubs1 = Athletic Bilbao

| years1 = 1984–1990 | clubs1 = Bilbao Athletic | caps1 = 109 | goals1 = 13

| years2 = 1988–2003 | clubs2 = Athletic Bilbao | caps2 = 348 | goals2 = 10

| totalcaps = 457 | totalgoals = 23

| nationalyears1 = 1990–2001 | nationalteam1 = Basque Country | nationalcaps1 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 2

}}

Josu Urrutia Tellería (born 10 April 1968) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

His 17-year senior career was solely connected with Athletic Bilbao for which he appeared in 348 La Liga matches over 16 seasons, scoring ten goals.[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/2000/03/13/pagina-8/715124/pdf.html 300 rugidos (300 roars)]; Mundo Deportivo, 9 March 2000 (in Spanish) He later served a seven-year term as president of the club.

Playing career

Urrutia was born in Bilbao, Biscay, and was a product of the youth academy of Athletic Bilbao based at Lezama. He made his first appearance with the club's B side on 9 September 1984, aged only 16, due to a strike by the professional players, and lasted 67 minutes in a 3–1 home win over UD Salamanca in the second division.[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1984/09/10/pagina-19/1114623/pdf.html 3–1: La juventud se impuso en San Mamés (3–1: Youth won at San Mamés)]; Mundo Deportivo, 10 September 1984 (in Spanish)

Urrutia appeared once for the first team during the 1987–88 season, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 home draw against Sporting de Gijón,[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1988/03/21/pagina-25/1180986/pdf.html# 1–1: Athletic y Sporting, plagados de bajas y de... errores (1–1: Athletic and Sporting, galore of absentees and... mistakes)]; Mundo Deportivo, 21 March 1988 (in Spanish) then played a further five La Liga games in the next while also experiencing a relegation followed by a promotion with the reserves. He began 1989–90 still registered with the latter but eventually broke into the former, scoring his first goal for them on 1 April 1990 to help to a 2–2 home draw with Real Valladolid which was played at neighbouring Real Sociedad's ground, Atotxa Stadium.[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1990/04/02/pagina-15/1206422/pdf.html El Athletic pinchó en el exilio (Athletic fumbled in exile)]; Mundo Deportivo, 2 April 1990 (in Spanish)

From the 1990–91 campaign onwards, Urrutia became a very important first-team member, being a valuable midfield element with tackling and stamina skills and a perfect complement for the more attacking Julen Guerrero.[https://www.vavel.com/es/futbol/athletic-de-bilbao/745757-historia-de-san-mames-exhibicion-de-julen-guerrero-bajo-la-nieve.html Historia de San Mamés: Exhibición de Julen Guerrero bajo la nieve (Story of San Mamés: Julen Guerrero show under the snow)]; Vavel, 22 January 2017 (in Spanish) He appeared in 30 matches during 1997–98 as the Basques qualified for the UEFA Champions League, as runners-up.

After just 25 total appearances from 2001 to 2003 – he only played one Copa del Rey game in the latter season – Urrutia retired at the age of 35 due to recurrent problems in his right knee, having taken part in 401 official matches.[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/2003/06/13/pagina-6/545106/pdf.html "Mi trayectoria es más que un título" ("My career means more than an honour")]; Mundo Deportivo, 13 June 2003 (in Spanish)

Presidency

File:Urkullu lehendakaria Athletic Club eta FC Barcelona taldeen arteko futbol partidan izan da San Mamesen (29226071880).jpg alongside Iñigo Urkullu (Lehendakari of the Basque Community), 2016]]

On 7 July 2011, Urrutia won the presidential elections at his only club (54,36% of the votes), becoming only the fourth former player to be chosen for the post.{{cite web|url=http://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/10901/josu-urrutia-new-president.html|title=Josu Urrutia, new president|publisher=Athletic Bilbao|date=7 July 2011|access-date=24 September 2017}} He promised to bring in Marcelo Bielsa as head coach if he was elected, and this eventually came to fruition.[http://cadenaser.com/ser/2011/06/30/deportes/1309390100_850215.html?int=masinfo Josu Urrutia confirma a Marcelo Bielsa como su entrenador si es presidente (Josu Urrutia confirms Marcelo Bielsa as his manager if he is president)]; Cadena SER, 30 June 2011 (in Spanish)[http://www.marca.com/2011/07/06/futbol/equipos/athletic/1309980176.html Bielsa: "Hay una proporción adecuada entre esfuerzo y creatividad" (Bielsa: "The proportion between effort and creativity is just right")]; Marca, 7 July 2011 (in Spanish)

In March 2015, Urrutia was re-elected to serve another four-year term after being the only candidate to stand.{{cite news|url=http://athletic.elcorreo.com/elecciones-2015/noticias/201503/08/urrutia-unico-candidato-presidencia-20150308153104.html|title=Urrutia será proclamado presidente el próximo 20 de marzo|trans-title=Urrutia to be proclaimed president the next 20 March|publisher=El Correo|first=Juanma|last=Mallo|language=es|date=8 March 2015|access-date=25 May 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113232241/https://athletic.elcorreo.com/elecciones-2015/noticias/201503/08/urrutia-unico-candidato-presidencia-20150308153104.html|archive-date=13 January 2022}} In the early days of his tenure he had appointed former teammate José Ángel Ziganda to become the coach of the reserves,{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/07/11/paisvasco/1310394328.html|title='Cuco' Ziganda quiere imprimir en el filial el estilo 'comprometido' de Bielsa|trans-title='Cuco' Ziganda wants to imprint Bielsa's 'committed' style on the reserves|publisher=El Mundo|language=es|date=11 July 2011|access-date=25 May 2017}} and six years later, still under the former's presidency, the latter was promoted to first-team duties;{{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}} he replaced another playing colleague of both men, Ernesto Valverde.{{cite web|url=http://bizkaia.eldesmarque.com/athletic-club/noticias/60019-urrutia-ya-lo-dijo-valverde-de-momento-no-hay-noticias-sobre-su-futuro|title=Urrutia: "Ya lo dijo Valverde, de momento no hay noticias sobre su futuro"|trans-title=Urrutia: "Valverde has said it already, no news on his future for the moment"|publisher=El Desmarque|language=es|date=4 May 2017|access-date=25 May 2017}}

In November 2018, Urrutia confirmed he would stand down as the president of Athletic Bilbao. During a spell heading an 'interim board' until his successor was elected, one of his final acts was to dismiss head coach Eduardo Berizzo – only appointed a few months earlier in place of Ziganda – due to poor results (again it was the reserve coach, this time Gaizka Garitano, who was invited to step into the role).{{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|first=Sid|last=Lowe|date=11 December 2018|access-date=12 January 2019}} On 27 December, new presidential elections were held, in which Aitor Elizegi won.{{cite web|url=https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/2018/12/27/aitor-elizegi-new-president-of-athletic-club|title=Aitor Elizegi, new president of Athletic Club|publisher=Athletic Bilbao|date=27 December 2018|access-date=2 January 2018}}